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THE UNIVERSITY 
OF ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


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The person charging this material is re- 
sponsible for its return on or before the 
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ELE 


SPORTSMAN’S CLUB 
iy 
AFLOAT. 
‘ Carey » PA Nn Lie &- fat gts 4 “ 
© Sai ~~ eS - News Mary hea 
BY HARRY CASTLEMON, @*-*“%- 
: \ ‘ 
AUTHOR OF ‘‘ THE GUNBOAT SERIES,” ‘‘GO AHEAD SERIES,” __ 
*“ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES,” ETC. 
oe 





PHILADELPHIA: “3 
PORTER & COATES, aie 


"3 CINCINNATI: | De as: 
R. W. CARROLL & CO. Pi = 
eS He 





FAMOUS CASTLEMON BOOKS. 


GUNBOAT SERIES. By Harry CAstiemon. Illustrated. 6 vols, 
lémo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. 


FRANK THE YouNG NATURALIST. FRANK ON A GUNBOAT. FRANK 
IN THE Woops. FRANK BEFORE VICKSBURG. FRANK ON THE LOWER 
MissIssIpPIl FRANK ON THE PRAIRIE. 


ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES. By Harry Casriemon. 
Illustrated. 3 vols, 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. 


FRANK AMONG THE RANCHEROS. 
Frank At Don Cartuos’ RANcHO. 
FRANK IN THE MountAINsS. 


SPORTSMAN’S CLUB SERIES. By Harry CastLemon. 
Illustrated. 3 vols. J6mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. 


Tur SPORTSMAN’S CLUB IN THE SADDLE. 
Tuer SportsMAN’s CLUB AFLOAT. 
THe SPoRTSMAN’S CLUB AMONG THE TRAPPERS. 


GO-AHEAD SERIES. By Harry OCastiemon. Illustrated. 3 
vols. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. 


Tom Nrewcomsre. Go-AHEAD. No Moss. : 


FRANK NELSON SERIES. By Harry Castiemon. Illustrated. 
3 vols. 1l6mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. : 


Snowep Ur. FRANK IN THE ForEcASTLE. Boy TRADERS. 
BOY TRAPPER SERIES. By Harry Castiemon. Illustrated. 
3 vols. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. 
Tue BurieD TREASURE; oR, OLD JorRDAN’s Haunt. 
Tue Boy TRAPPER; oR, How DAVE FILLED THE ORDER. 
THe Mait-CARrRIER. 
ROUGHING IT SERIES. By Harry Castziemon. Illustrated. 
16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. 
GEORGE IN CAMP. 


Other Volumes in Preparation. 





Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by 
R. W. CARROLL & CO., 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 





£ 


-h2 ME 


3. 7-3 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER I, 
On the Gulf again e e e ° e e e e Page 5 


CHAPTER II. 
A Surprise ° e e e ° r) ° r 2 « 2b 


, CHAPTER III. 
Outwitted ° ° e ° ° ° e e e ° ° 45 


CHAPTER IV. 
Fairly afloat e ° ° e e e ° ° ° e 66 


CHAPTER V. 
The Deserters e e ° e ° 3 e e ° - 88 


CHAPTER VI. 
Achapterof Incidents . . ss © -e -« ec “eT 


CHAPTER VII. 
Don Casper ° e e ° e ° 9 e ° ~ 129 


CHAPTER VIII. 


Chase rises to explain gt oi ee Ra wt to en eee 


CHAPTER IX. 


- Wilson runsarace . ; 7 A e : ’ » 164 


Git) 


Ps “4°78337 


iv CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER X. 
Buperiny AM oie Ie ete . Page 181 


CHAPTER XI. 
“Sheep Ahoy !” ° . . ° . ° ° - 198 


CHAPTER XII. 
The Banner under fire i : M, . 7 5 . « 214 


CHAPTER XIII. 
The Spanish Frigate e ° e e e ° ° e 231 


CHAPTER XIV. 
The Yacht Lookout - era aed s)% : : ° | ae 


2 
. 


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v | pen re. a ee = 


ig il 


THE 


SPORTSMAN’S CLUB 


Borel Cr Ack. 





CHAPTER I. 
ON THE GULF AGAIN. 


ASSURE you, gentlemen, that you do not 
regret this mistake more than I do. I would 

not have had it happen for anything.” 
It was the captain of the revenue cutter who 
spoke. He, with Walter Gaylord, Mr. Craven, 
- Mr. Chase and the collector of the port, was stand- 
ing on the wharf, having just returned with his late 
prisoners from the custom-house, whither the young 
captain of the Banner had been to provide himself 
with clearance papers. ‘The latter had narrated as 
_ _ much of the history of Fred Craven’s adventures, 
which we have attempted to describe in the first 


SOR ee a 


Fe Es 


4 
re; 


6 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


volume of this series, as he was acquainted with, 
and the recital had thrown the revenue captain inte 
a state of great excitement. The yacht was an- 
chored in the harbor, a short distance astern of the 
cutter, and alongside the wharf lay the only tug of 
which the village could boast, the John Basset, 
which Mr. Chase and Mr. Craven had hired to carry 
them to Lost Island in pursuit of the smugglers. _ 

‘““There must be some mistake about it,” con- 
tinued the captain of the cutter. “A boy captured 
by a gang of smugglers and carried to sea in a 
dug-out! I never heard of such a thing before. I 
know you gentlemen will pardon me for what I have 
done, even though you may think me to have been 
over-zealous in the discharge of my duty. Your 
yacht corresponds exactly with the description given 
me of the smuggler.” 

‘“¢ You certainly made a great blunder,”’ said Mr. 
Craven, who was in very bad humor; ‘and there is 
no knowing what it may cost us.”’ 

‘But you can make some amends for it by start 
ing for Lost Island at once,” said Mr. Chase. 
** You will find two of the smugglers there, and per- 
haps you can compel them to tell you something of 


the vessel of which you are in search. More than 


qt ro 
Ree 


\ > t | 
THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. y| 


that, they have made a prisoner of my son, anl he 

knows what has become of Fred Craven.” 
Sy. “Tam at your service. I will sail again imme- 
diately, and I shall reach the island about daylight. . 
If you gentlemen with your tug arrive there before 
I do and need assistance, wait until I come. Cap- 
tain Gaylord, if you will step into my gig I shall 
be happy to take you on board your vessel. You 
may go home now, and these gentlemen and myself 
will attend to those fellows out there on Lost Island. 
If we find them we shall certainly capture them.” 

* And when you do that, I shall not be far 
away, replied Walter. , S. 

“Why, you are not going to venture out in this 
wind again with that cockle-shell, are you?” asked 
the captain, in surprise. 

“Tam, sir. I built the Banner, and I know what 
she can do. She has weathered the Gulf breeze 
once to-night, and she can do it again. I am not 
going home until I see Fred Craven safe out of 
his trouble. In order to find out where he is, I 
must have an interview with Henry Chase.”’ 

Mr. Craven and Mr. Chase, who were impatient 
iy to start for Lost Island again, walked off toward 


- the tug, and Walter stepped down into the captain’s 








8 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


gig and was carried on board the Banner. His 
feelings as he sprang on the deck of his vessel were 
very different from those he had experienced when 
he left her. The last time he clambered over her 
rail he was a prisoner, guarded by armed men and 
charged with one of the highest crimes known to 
the law. Now he was free again, the Banner was 
all his own, and he was at liberty to go where he 
pleased. — ze 
_ “Mr. Butler, send all the cutter’s hands into the 
gig,’’ said the revenue captain, as he sprang on 
board the yacht. 

““ Very good, sir,” replied the lieutenant. . *‘ Pass 
‘the word for all the prize crew to muster on the 
quarter-deck.”’ ; 


“‘ Banner’s men, ahoy!” shouted Walter, thrust- 


ie ing his head down the companion-way. “Up you 


come with a jump. Perk, get under way imme- 
diately.”’ 

For a few seconds confusion reigned supreme on 
board the yacht. The revenue men who had been 
lying about the deck came aft in a body; those 
who had been guarding the prisoners in the cabin 
sambled up the ladder, closely followed by the boy 
crew, who, delighted to find themselves once more 


we 
Sey 


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THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. _9 


at liberty, shouted and hurrahed until they were 
hoarse. 

*¢ All hands stand by the capstan!” yelled Perk. 

** Never mind the anchor,” said Walter. ‘* Get 
to sea at once.” 

‘¢ Hugene, slip the chain,” shouted Perk. “Stand 
by the halliards fore and aft.”’ 

“Hold on a minute, captain,” exclaimed the 
master of the cutter, who had been extremely. polite 
and even cringing ever since he learned that the 
boys who had been his prisoners were the sons of 
the wealthiest and most influential men about Bell- 
ville. ‘I should like an opportunity to muster my 
crew, if you please.”’ 

~ Can you not do that on board your own vessel ?”’ 
asked Walter. 

“T might under ordinary circumstances, but of 
late my men have been seizing every opportunity to 
leave me, and I am obliged to watch them very 
closely. They have somehow learned that a Cuban 
privateer, which has escaped from New York, is 
lying off Havana waiting for a crew, and they are 


deserting me by dozens. There may be some (le- 


-serters stowed away about this yacht, for all I 


know.’ : 


10 ‘THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


“Never mind,” replied Walter, who was so im- 
patient to get under way that he could think of 
nothing else. ‘If there are, I will return them to 
you when I meet you at Lost Island. Good-bye, 
captain, and if you see me on the Gulf again don’t 
forget that I have papers now.” 

By this time the Banner was fairly under sail. 
Perk saw that the revenue men were still on board, 
and knew that they would have some difficulty in 
getting into their boat when the yacht was scudding 
down the harbor at the rate of eight knots an hour, 
but that made no difference to him. His com- 
mander had ordered him to get under way, and he 
did it without the loss of a moment. He slipped 
the anchor, hoisted the same sails the Banner had 
carried when battling with the Gulf breeze three 
hours before, and in a few seconds more was drag- 
ging the revenue gig through the water at a faster 
rate than she had ever travelled before. Her crew 
tumbled over the rail one after another, and when 
they were all in the boat Bab cast off the painter, 
and the Banner sped on her way, leaving the gig 
behind. 

“What was the matter, Walter? did they really 


take us for smugglers ?’”’ asked the Club in concert, 





ne 


a 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 11 


as they gathered about the young saptain. ‘‘ What 
did you tell them; and has anything new happened 
that you are going to sea again in such a hurry ?” 

‘“¢ Ask your questions one at a time and they will 


9? 


last longer,’’ replied Walter; who then proceeded 
in a very few words to explain matters. The cap- 
tain of the cutter had really been stupid enough to 
believe that the Banner was a smuggler, he said, 
and so certain was he of the fact that he would 
listen to no explanation. Mr. Craven had told him 
the story of the two smugglers who had taken a 
prisoner to Lost Island, but the revenue commander 
would not believe a word of it, and persisted in his 
determination to take his captives to the village. 
When they arrived there and the collector of the 
port had been called up, of course the matter was 
quickly settled, and then the captain appeared to be 
very sorry for what he had done, and was as plau- 
sible and fawning as he had before been insolent and 
overbearing. Pierre and his father would certainly 
be captured now, for Mr. Chase and Mr. Craven 
had chartered the John Bassett to carry them to 
Lost Island, and the revenue captain would also sail 
at once and render all the assistance in his power. 
“Humph!” exclaimed Eugene, when Walter 


12 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


finished his story, ‘‘ We don’t want any of his help, 
or the tug’s either. Crack on, Walter, and let’s 
reach the island and have the work over before they 
get there.” 

‘‘That would be useless,” answered the cautious 
young captain. “The Banner’s got as much as 
she can carry already; and besides we can’t expect 
to compete with a tug or a vessel of the size of the 
cutter. If we reach the island in time to see Chase 
rescued, I shall be satisfied. If any of you are in 
want of.sleep you may go below, and Bab and I 
will manage the yacht.” 

But none of the Club felt the need of rest just 
then. Things were getting too exciting. With a cou- 
ple of smugglers before them to be captured, two swift 
rival pursuers behind, to say nothing of the gale 
and the waves which tossed the staunch little Banner 
about like a nut-shell, and the intense impatience 
and anxiety they felt to learn something of the sit- 
uation of the missing secretary—under circumstances 
like these sleep was not to be thought of. They 
spent the next half hour in discussing the exciting 
adventures that had befallen them since their en- 
counter with Bayard Bell and his crowd, and then 


Eugene, after sundry emphatic injunctions from his 





THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 15) 


brother to keep his weather eye open and mind 
what he was about, took Perk’s place at the wheel, 
while the latter, who always acted as ship’s cook in 
the absence of Sam the negro, went below to pre- 
pare the eatables which Walter had provided >efore 
leaving home. The baskets containing the provi- 
sions had been taken into the galley. In the floor 
of this galley was a small hatchway leading into the 
hold where the water-butts, fuel for the stove, tool- 
chests, ballast, and extra rigging were stowed away ; 
and when Perk approached the galley from the 
cabin he was surprised to see that the hatchway 
was open, and that a faint light, like that emitted 
by a match, was shining through it from below. 
The sight was 2 most unexpected one, and for an 
instant Perk stood paralyzed with alarm. His face’ 
grew as pale as death, and his heart seemed to stop 
beating. Who had been careless enough to open 
that hatch and go into the hold with an uncovered 
light? Eugene of course—he was always doing 
‘something he had no business to do—and he had 
set fire to some of the combustible matter there. 
Perk had often heard Uncle Dick tell how it felt 
to have one’s vessel burned under hin, and shud- 
_ dering at the recital, had hoped most fervently that 


14. THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


he might never know the feeling by experience 
But now he was in a fair way to learn all about it. 
Already he imagined the Banner a charred and 
smoking wreck, and he and his companions tossing 
about on the waves clinging to spars and life-buoys. 
These thoughts passed through Perk’s mind in one 
second of time; then recovering the use of his legs 
and his tongue, he sprang forward and shouted out 
one word which rang through the cabin, and fell 
with startling distinctness upon the ears of the 
watchful crew on deck. 

“Fire!” yelled Perk, with all the power of his 
lungs. 

That was all he said, but it was enough to strike 
terror to the heart of every one of the boy sailors 
who heard it. Somebody else heard it too—some 
persons who did not belong to the Banner, and who 
had no business on board of her. Perk did not 
know it then, but he found it out a moment after- 
wards when he entered the galley, for, just as he 
seized the hatch, intending to close the opening 
that led into the hold and thus shut out the draft, 
a crizzly head suddenly appeared from below, one 

brawny hand holding a hatchet, was placed upon ~ 


i 





THE SPORTSMAN S CLUB AFLOAT. Th 


the combings, and the other was raised to prevent 
the descent of the hatch. : 

If it is possible for a boy to see four things at 
once, to come to a conclusion on four different 
"points, to act, and to do it all in less than half a 
second of time, Perk certainly performed the feat. 
He saw that the man who so suddenly made his 
appearance in the hatchway was dressed in the uni- 
_ form of the revenue service; that he had a com- 
panion in the hold; that the latter was in the act 
of taking an adze from the tool-chest; and that he 
held in his hand a smoky lantern which gave out 
the faint, flickering light that shone through the 
hatchway.. 

_ When the boy had noted these things, some scraps 
of the conversation he had overheard between Wal- 
ter and the revenue captain came into his mind. 
These men were deserters from the cutter, and he 
had discovered them just in time to prevent mis- 
chief. They were preparing to make an immediate 
attack upon the Banner’s crew, and had provided 
themselves with weapons to overcome any opposi- 
tion they might meet. If they were allowed to 


come on deck they would take the vessel out of the 


hands of her crew, and shape her course toward 


oe 


16 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


Havana, where the Cuban privateer was supposed to 


- belying. Perk did not object to the men joining 


the privateer if they felt so inclined—that was the 
revenue captain’s business, and not his—but he was 
determined that they should not assume control of 
the Banner, and take her so far into the Gulf in 


- such a gale if he could prevent it. 


“ Avast, there !’’ exclaimed the sailor, in a savage 


‘tone of voice, placing his hand against the hatch to 


keep Perk from slamming it down on his head. 
“‘We want to come up.” : 

“But I want you to stay down,” replied the boy ; 
‘Sand we'll see who will have his way.” 

The sailor made an upward spring, and Perk 
flung down the hatchway at the same moment, 
throwing all his weight upon it as he did so. The 
result was a collision between the man’s head and 
the planks of which the hatchway was composed, 
the head getting the worst of it. The deserter was 
knocked over on the opposite side of the opening 
and caught and held as if he had been in a vise, 
his breast being pressed against the combings, and 
the sharp corner of the hatch, with Perk’s one hun- 


dred and forty pounds on top of it, falling across» 
his shoulders. er 


SHE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 17 


“ Now just listen to me a minute, and I'll tell 
you what’s a fact,” said the boy, who, finding that 
the enemy was secured beyond all possibility of es- 
cape, began to recover his usual coolness and cour- 
age; “I’ve got you.” 

‘* But you had better let me go mighty sudden,” 
replied the sailor, struggling desperately to seize 
Perk over his shoulder. ‘‘ Push up the hatch, 
Tom,” he added, addressing his confederate below. 

All these events, which we have been so long in 
narrating, occupied scarcely a minute in taking 
place. Walter sprang toward the companion-way ° 
the instant Perk’s wild cry fell upon his ears, and 
pale and breathless burst into the cabin, followed by 
Bab and Wilson. When he opened the door he. 
discovered Perk in the position we have described. 
A single glance at the uniform worn by the man 
whose head and shoulders were protruding from the 
hatchway, was enough to explain everything. 

‘Now, here’s a go!” exclaimed Bab, in great . 
amazement. 

‘Yes; and there’ll be a worse go than this if 
you don’t let me out,’ replied the prisoner, say- 
agely. ‘ Push up the hatch, Tom.” 

“The revenue captain was right in his suspicions 


2 


% 


18 THE-SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


after all, wasn’t he?’ said Walter, as he and Wilson 
advanced and wrested the hatchet from the sailor's 
hand. “I don’t think that your attempt to reach 
Cuba will be very successful, my friend.” 

‘‘That remains to be seen. Push up the hatch, 
Tom. If I once get on deck I'll make a scattering 
among these young sea’ monkeys. Push up the 
hatch, I tell you.” | 

This was the very thing the man below had been 
trying to do from the first, but without success. 
The hatchway was small, and was so nearly filled 
by the body of the prisoner, who was a burly fellow, 
that his companion in the hold had no chance to 
exert his strength. He could not place his shoul- 
ders against the hatch, and there was no handspike 
in the hold, or even a billet of wood strong enough 
to lift with. He breathed hard and uttered a good 
many threats, but accomplished nothing. 

**T wish now I had given that captain time to 
muster his men,’ said Walter. ‘This fellow is a 
deserter from the cutter, of course; but he shall 
never go to Havana in our yacht. Bab, go on deck 
and: bring down three handspikes.”’ - 


Bab disappeared, and when he returned with the 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 19 


implements, Walter took one and handed Wilson 
another. 

‘Now, Perk,’ continued the young captain, 
“take a little of your weight off the hatch and let 
that man go back into the hold. We'd rather have 
him down there than up here.”’ pet ge 

“IT know it,” said Perk. ‘But just listen to me, 
and I’ll tell you what’s a fact: Perhaps he won't 
go back.” 

“‘T think he will,’’ answered Walter, in a very 
significant tone of voice. ‘‘ He'd rather go back 
of his own free will than be knocked back. Try 
him and see.”’ 

Perk got off the hatch, and the sailor, after 
taking a look at the handspikes that were flourished 
over his head, slid back into the hold without utter- 
ing a word; while Bab, hardly waiting until his . 
head was below the combings, slammed down the 
hatch, threw the bar over it and confined it with a 
padlock. This done, the four boys stood looking at 
cne another with blanched cheeks. 

‘‘ Where’s the fire, Perk?’ asked Walter. 

“There is none, I am glad to say. The light I 
saw shining from the hold came from a lantern that 


20 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


those fellows have somehow got into their pos- 
session.” 

“Well, I'd rather fight the deserters than take 
my chances with a fire if it was once fairly started,” 
replied Walter, much relieved. ‘“ How many of 
them are there?” 

‘“‘Oaly two that I saw. But they can do a great 
deal of mischief if they feel in the humor for it.” 

“¢ That is just what I was thinking of,” chimed in 
Bab. ‘You take it very coolly, Walter. Don’t 
you know that if they get desperate they can set 
fire to the yacht, or bore through the bottom and 
sink her ?”’ 

“‘T thought of all that before we drove that man 
back there; but what else could we have done? If 

we had brought him up here to tie him, he would 

. ave attacked us as soon as he touched the deck, 
and engaged our attention until his companion could 
come to his assistance. Perk, you and Wilson stay 
down here and guard that hatch. Call me if you 
hear anything.” 

‘| hear something now,” said Wilson. 

“So do I,” exclaimed Perk. “TI hear those fel- 
lows swearing and storming about in the hold; but 
they won’t get out that way, I guess.” 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 21 


Walter and Bab returned to the deck and found 
Eugene in a high state of excitement, and impatient 
to hear all about the fire. He was much relieved, 
although his excitement did not in the least abate, 
to learn that the danger that had threatened the 
yacht was of an entirely different character, and 
that by Perk’s prompt action it had been averted, 
at least for the present. Of course he could not 
stay on deck after so thrilling a scene had been 
enacted below. He gave the wheel into his brother’s 
hands, and went down into the galley to see how 
things looked there.. He listened in great amaze- 
ment to Perk’s account of the affair, and placed his 
ear at the hatch inthe hope of hearing something 
that would tell him what the prisoners were about. 
But all was silent below. The deserters had ceased — 
their swearing and threatening, and were no doubt 
trying to decide what they should do next. 

The crew of the yacht were not nearly so confi- 
dant and jubilant as they had been before this inci- | 
dent happened, and nothing more was said about 
the lunch. The presence of two desperate charac- 
ters on board their vessel was enough to awaken 
the most serious apprehensions in their minds. 
During the rest of the voyage they were on the 


pe 


22 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


alert to check any attempt at escape on the part of 
the prisoners, and those on deck caught up hand- 
spikes and rushed down into the cabin at every un- 
usual sound. But the journey was accomplished 
without any mishap, and finally the bluffs on Lost 
Island began to loom up through the darkness. 
After sailing around the island without discovering 
any signs of the smugglers, the Banner came about, 
and running before the wind like a frightened deer, 
held for the cove into which Chase and his captors 
had gone with the pirogue a few hours before. The 
young captain, with his speaking-trumpet in his 
hand, stood upon the rail, the halliards were manned 
fore and aft, and the careful Bab sent to the wheel. 
These precautions were taken because the Banner 
was now about to perform the most dangerous part 
of her voyage to the island. The entrance to the 
cove was narrow, and the cove itself extended but 
a short distance inland, so that if the yacht’s speed 
were not checked at the proper moment, the force . 
with which she was driven by the gale, would send 
her high and dry upon the beach. 

The little vessel flew along. with the speed of an 
arrow, seemingly on the point of dashing herself in 
pieces on the rocks, against which the surf beat with 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. re) 


a roar like that of a dozen cannon; but, under the 
skilful management of her young captain, doubled 
the projecting point in safety, and was carried on 
the top of a huge wave into the still waters of the 
cove. Now was the critical moment, and had Wal- 
ter been up and doing he might have saved the 
Banner from the catastrophe which followed. But 
he did not give an order, and it is more than likely 
that he would not have been obeyed if he had. He 
and his crew stood rooted to the deck, bagifigered 
by the scene that burst upon their view. <A bright 
fire was roaring and crackling on the beach, and by 
the aid of the light it threw out, every object in 
the cove could be distinguished. The first thing 
the crew of the Banner noticed was a small schooner 
moored directly in their path—the identical one 
they. had seen loading at Bellville; the second, a 
group of men, one of whom they recognised, stand- 
ing on the beach; and the third, a cave high up 
the bluff, in the mouth of which stood one of the 
boys of whom they were in search, Henry Chase, 
whose face was white with excitement and terror.. 
IIe was throwing his arms wildly about his head, 
and shouting at the top of his voice. 
‘Banner ahoy!’’ he yelled. 


© 


ad 


ce Pah + 
a oe 
ae 


94 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


“ Hallo!” replied Walter, as soon as he found 
his tongue. 

“Get away from here!” shouted Chase. ‘ Get 
away while you can. ‘That vessel is the smuggler, 
and Fred Craven is a prisoner on board of her.” 

’ But it was too late for the yacht to retreat. Be- 
fore Walter could open his mouth she struck the 
smuggling vessel with a force sufficient to knock all 
the boy crew off their feet, breaking the latter’s 
bowsp it, short off, and then swung around with her 


stern in the bushes, where she remained wedged. 


fast, with her sails shaking in the wind. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFL<AT. 25 


CHAPTER II. 


* A SURPRISE. — 






a last time we saw Henry Chase he was sitti 

in the mouth of “ The Kitchen’’—that w e 
name given to the cave in which he had taken refuge 
after destroying the pirogue—with his axe in his 
hand, waiting to see what Coulte and Pierre, who 
had just disappeared down the gully, were going to 
do next. He had been holding a parley with his 
captors, and they, finding that he had fairly turned 
the tables on them, and that he was not to be 
frightened into surrendering himself into their hands 
again, had gone off to talk the matter over and 
decide upon some plan to capture the boy in his 
stronghold. Now that their vessel was cut to pieces, 
they had no means of leaving the island, and con- 
sequently they were prisoners there as well as Chase. 
He had this slight advantage of them, however: 
when the yacht arrived he would be set at liberty, 


26 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


while they would in all probability be secured and 
sent off to jail, where they belonged. 

“Tll pay them for interfering with me when I 
wasn't troubling them,” chuckled Chase, highly 
elated over the clever manner in which he had out- 
witted his captors. ‘I think I have managed 
affairs pretty well. Now, if the yacht would only 
come, I should be all right. Itis to Walter’s in- 

t to assist me, if he only knew it; for I can 
_tell™bim where Fred Craven is. But I can safely 
leave all that to Wilson. He is a friend worth 
having, and he will do all he can for me. What's 
going on out there, I wonder?” 

The sound that had attracted the boy’s attention 
was a scrambling among the bushes, accompanied 
by exclamations of anger and long-drawn whistles. 
The noise came down to him from the narrow 
crevice which extended to the top of the bluff, and 
from this Chase knew that Coulte and Pierre were 
ascending the rocks on the outside, and that they 
were having rather a difficult time of it. He won- 
ilered what they were going to do up there. They 
could not come down into the cave through the 
crevice, for it was so narrow that Fred Craven him- 
self would have stuck fast in it. The boy took his 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. pad 


stand under the opening and listened. He heard 
the two men toiling up the almost perpendicular 
sides, and knew when they reached the summit, 
Then there was a sound of piling wood, followed by 
the concussion of flint and steel; and presently a 
feeble flame, which gradually increased in volume, 
shot up from the top of the bluff. 

“That's a signal,” thought Chase, with some 
uneasiness, ‘‘ Who in the world is abroad on t 
Gulf, on a night like this, that is likely to be at- 
tracted by it? It must be the smuggling vessel, 
for | remember hearing Mr. Bell say that he should 
start for Cuba this verynight. I pity Fred Craven, 
shut up in that dark hold, with his hands and feet 
tied.- I’ve had a little experience in that line to- 
night, and I know how it feels.”’ 

Chase seated himself on the floor of the cave, 
under the crevice, rested his head against the rocks, 
and set himself to watch the two men, whose move- 
ments he could distinctly see as they passed back 
and forth before the fire. In this position he went 
off into the land of dreams and slept for an hour, 
at the end of which time he awoke with a start, and 
a presentiment that some danger threatened him. 
He sprang to his feet, catching up his axe and look- 


28 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


ing all around the cave; and as he did so, a dark 
form, which had been stealthily creeping toward 
him, stopped and stretched itself out flat on the 
rocks, just in time to escape his notice. 

‘Was it a dream ?” muttered Chase, rubbing his 
eyes. ‘I thought some one had placed a pole 
against the bluff and climbed into the cave ; but of 
course that couldn’t be, for Coulte and his son have 
no axe with which to cut a pole.” 

The boy once more glanced suspiciously about 
his hiding-place, which, from some cause, seemed to 
be a great deal lighter now than it was when he 
went to sleep, and hurrying to the mouth looked 
down into the gully below. ‘To his consternation, 
he found that the danger he had apprehended in 
his dream was threatening him in reality. A pole 
had been placed against the ledge at the entrance 
to the cave, and clinging to it.was,@x@™ficure of a 
man, who had ascended almost to the top. It was 
Pierre. How he had managed to possess himself 
of the pole was a question Chase asked himself, 
but which he could not stop to answer. His enemy 
was too near and time too precious for that. 

“Hold on!” shouted Pierre, when he saw the — 
boy swing his axe aloft. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 29 


“You had better hold on to something solid your- 
self,’ replied Chase, ‘‘ or you will go to the bottom 
of the ravine. You are as near to me as I care to 
have you come.” 

The axe descended, true to its aim, and cutting 
into the pole at the point where it touched the ledge 
severed it in twain, and sent Pierre heels-over-head 
to the ground. When this had been done, and 
Chase’s excitement had abated so that he could look 
about him, he found that he had more than one 
enemy to contend with. He was astonished beyond 
measure at what he saw, and he knew now why “ The 
Kitchen ”’ was not as dark as it had been an hour be- 
fore. The whole cove below him was brilliantly 
lighted up by a fire which had been kindled on the 
beach, and the most prominent object revealed to 
his gaze wagfidittle schooner which was moored to 
the trees. The sight of her recalled most vividly 
to his mind the adventure of which he and Fred 
Craven had been the heroes. It was the Stella— 
the smuggling vessel. Her crew were gathered in 
a group at the bottom of the gully, and Chase’s 
attention had been so fully occupied with Pierre 
that he had not seen them. As he ran his eye over 
the group he saw that there was one maxi in it be- 


ie 


30 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


sides Pierre who was anything but a stranger to him, 
and that was Mr. Bell, who stood a little apart 
from the others, with his tarpaulin drawn down over 
his forehead, and his arms buried to the elbows in 
the pockets of his pea-jacket. Remembering the 
uniform kindness and courtesy with which he and 
Wilson had been treated by that gentleman, while 
they were Bayard’s guests and sojourners under his 


roof Chase was almost on the point of appealing 


to him for protection; but checked himself. when he 
recalled the scene that had transpired on board the 
Stella, when he and Fred Craven were discovered 
in the hold. 

‘Tl not ask favors of a smuggler—an outlaw,” 
thought Chase, tightening his grasp on his trusty 
axe. ‘*It would be of no use, for it was through 
him that I was brought to this island.” 

“Took here, young gentleman,” said a short, 
red-whiskered man, stepping out from among his 
companions, after holding a short consultation with 
Mr. Bell, “‘ we want you.” 

“TI can easily believe that,’’ answered Chase. 
“T know too much to be allowed to remain at large, 
don’t 1? I don’t want you, however.” 

“We've got business with you,’ continued the 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. DA 


red-whiskered man, who was the commander of the 
Stella, “and you had better listen to reuson 
before we use force. Drop that axe and come down 
here.” 

“‘T think I see myself doing it. Id look nice, 
surrendering myself into your hands, to be shut up 
in that dark hole with poor Fred Craven, carried 
to Cuba and shipped off to Mexico, under a Spanish 
sea-captain, wouldn’t I? There’s a good deal of 
_ reason in that, isn’t there now? I'll fight as long 
as I can swing this axe.” 

** But that will do you no good,” replied the 
captain, ‘‘for you are surrounded and can’t escape. 
Where is Coulte?” he added, in an impatient under- 
tone, to the men who stood about him. 

“Surrounded!” thought Chase. He glanced 
quickly behind him, but could see nothing except 
the darkness that filled the cave, and that was 
something of which he was not afraid. ‘Tl have 
friends here before long,” he added, aloud, ‘‘and 
until they arrive, I can hold you all at bay. I 
will knock down the poles as fast as you put them 


9 


up. 
‘¢ Where zs Coulte, I wonder?” said the master 
of the smuggling vessel, again. ‘Why isn’t he 


$2 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


doing something? I could have captured him a 
dozen times.” 

These words reached the boy’s ear, and the sig- 
nificant, earnest tone in which they were uttered, 
aroused his suspicions, and made him believe that 
perhaps the old Frenchman was up to something 
that might interest him. It might be that his ene- 
mies had discovered some secret passage-way lead- 
ing into his stronghold, and had sent Coulte around 
to attack himinthe rear. Alarmed at the thought, 
Chase no longer kept his back turned toward the 
cave, but stood in such a position that he could 
watch the farther end of “The Kitchen” and the 
men below at the same time. 

A long silence followed the boy’s bold avowal of 
his determination to stand his ground, during which 
time a whispered consultation was carried on by 
Mr. Beil, Pierre, and the captain of the schooner. 
When it was ended, the former led the way toward 
the beach, followed by all the vessel’s. company. 
Chase watched them until they disappeared among 
the bushes that lined the banks of the gully, and 
when they came out again and took their stand 
about the fire, he seated himself on the ledge at the 


a 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. Bo 


entrance of the cave, and waited with no little un- 
easiness to see what they would do next. 

**T know now what that fire on the bluff was for,”’ 
thought he. ‘It wasa signal to the smugglers, and 
they saw it and ran in here while I was asleep. 
They came very near capturing me, too—in a minute 
more Pierre would have been in the cave. I can’t 
expect to fight a whole ship’s company, and of 
course I must give in, sooner or later; but I will 
hold out as long as I can.” . 

Chase finished his soliloquy with an exclamation, 
and jumped to his feet in great excitement. A 
thrill of hope shot through his breast when he saw 
the Banner come suddenly into view from behind 
the point, and dart into the cove; but it quickly 
gave away to a feeling of intense alarm. His long- 
expected reinforcements had arrived at last, but 
would they be able to render him the assistance he 
had hoped and longed for? Would they not rather 
bring themselves into serious trouble by running 
directly into the power of the smugglers? Forget- 
ful-of himself, and thinking only of the welfare of 
Walter and his companions, Chase dropped his axe 
and began shouting and waving his arms about his 
head. to attract their attention. 


3 


34 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


“‘ Get away from here!’’ he cried. “ That vessel 
is the smuggler, and Fred Craven is a prisoner on 
board of her.’’ 

Walter heard the words of warning and so did 
all of his crew ; but they came too late. The yacht 
was already beyond control. When her captain 
picked himself up from the deck where the shock 
of the collision had thrown him, and looked around 
to see where he was, he found the Banner’s fore- 
rigging foul of the wreck of the schooner’s bowsprit, 
and her stern almost high and dry, and jammed in 
among the bushes and trees on the bank. Escape 
from such a situation was simply impossible. He 
glanced at the cave where he had seen Chase but 
he had disappeared; then he looked at his crew, 
whose faces were white with alarm; and finally he 
turned his attention to the smugglers who were 
gathered about the fire. He could not discover 
anything in their personal appearance, or the ex- 
pression of their faces, calculated to allay the fears 
which Chase’s words had aroused in his mind. 
They were a hard-looking lot—just such men as one 
would expect to see engaged in such business. 

** Now I’ll tell you what’s a fact,’’ whispered Perk, 
as the crew of the Banner gathered about the 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 3& 


captain on the quarterdeck; “did you hear what 
Chase said? We know where Featherweight is 
now, don’t we ?”’ 

‘Yes, and we shall probably see the inside of his 
prison in less than five minutes,”’ observed Eugene. 
“Or else the smugglers will put us ashore and 
destroy our yacht, so that we can’t leave the island 
until we are taken off.” 

‘TI don’t see what in the world keeps the tug and 
the revenue-cutter,”’ said Walter, anxiously. ‘They 
ought to have beaten us here, and unless they arrive 
very soon we shall be in serious trouble. What 
brought that schooner to the island, any how ?”’ 

‘That is easily accounted for,’’ returned Wilson, 
‘‘ Pierre is a member of the gang, as you are aware, 
and his friends probably knew that he was here, and 
stopped to take him off. Having brought their 
vessel into the cove, of course they must stay here 
until the wind goes down.” 

“Well, if they are going to do anything with us 
I wish they would be in a hurry about it,” said Bab. 
‘I don’t like to be kept in suspense.” 

The young sailors once more directed their atten- 
_ tion to the smugglers, and told one another that they 
did not act much like men who made it a point to 


36 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


secure everybody who knew anything of their secret. 
They did not seem to be surprised at the yacht’s 
sudden appearance, but it was easy enough to see 
that they were angry at the rough manner in which 
she had treated their vessel. Her commander had 
shouted out several orders to Walter as the Banner 
came dashing into the cove, but as the young cap- 
tain could not pay attention to both him and Chase 
at the same moment, the orders had not been heard. 
When the little vessel swung around into the bushes, 
the master of the schooner sprang upon the deck of 
his own craft, followed by his crew. 

‘‘ That beats all the lubberly handling of a yacht 
I ever saw in my life, and I’ve seen a good deal of 
it,’ said the red-whiskered captain, angrily. ‘* Do 
you want the whole Gulf to turn your vessel in ?”’ 

‘You're a lubber yourself,” retorted Walter, 
who, although he considered himself a prisoner in 
hands of the smugglers, was not the one to listen 
tamely to any imputation cast upon his seamanship. 
“‘T can handle a craft of this size as well as any- 
body.” 

‘“‘T don’t see it,’’ answered the master of the 


schooner. ‘‘ My vessel is larger than yours, and I 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. Be 


brought her in here without smashing everything in 
pieces.” 

“That may be. But the way was clear, and you 
came in under entirely different circumstances.” 

“Well, if you will bear a hand over there we 
will clear away this wreck. I want to go out again 
as soon as this wind goes down.” 

Wondering why the captain of the smugglers 
did not tell them that they were his prisoners, 
Walter and his crew went to work with the schooner’s 
company, and by the aid of hatchets, handspikes, and 
a line made fast to a tree on the bank, succeeded in 
getting the little vessels apart; after which the 
Banner was hauled out into deep water and turned 
about in readiness to sail out of the cove. Walter 
took care, however, to work his vessel close in to the 
bank, in order to leave plenty of room for the tug 
and the revenue cutter when they came in. How 
closely he watched the entrance to the cove, and 
how impatiently he awaited their arrival! 

While the crew of the schooner was engaged in 
repairing the wreck of the bowsprit, Walter and his 
men were setting things to rights on board the 
yacht, wondering exceedingly all the while. They 
did not understand the matter at all. Pierre and 


38 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


Coulte had brought Chase to the island, intending 
to leave him to starve, freeze, or be taken off as 
fate or luck might decree, and all because he had 
learned something they did not want him to know. 
Fred Craven was a prisoner on board the very vessel 
that now lay alongside them, and that proved that 
he knew something about the smugglers also. Now, 
if the band had taken two boys captive because they 
had discovered their secret, and they did not think 
it safe to allow them to be at liberty, what was the 
reason they did not make an effort to secure the 
crew of the Banner? ‘These were the points that 
Walter and his men were turning over in their 
minds, and the questions they propounded to one 
another, but not one of them could find an answer 
to them. 

‘‘ Perhaps they think we might resist, and that 
we are too strong to be successfully attacked,”’ said 
Eugene, at length. 

“TTardly that, I imagine,’ laughed Walter. 
‘“‘ Hive boys would not be a mouthful for ten grown 
men.” 

“T say, fellows,’ exclaimed Bab, “what has 
beoome of Chase all of a sudden ?” 


“‘ Tlat’s so!” cried all the crew in a breath, stop- 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. = 89 


ping their work and looking up at the bluffs above 
them. ‘ Where is he?” 

“The first and last I saw of him he was standing 
in the mouth of ‘The Kitchen,’”’ continued Eab. 
“Where could he have gone, and why doesn’t he 
come back and talk to us? Was he still a prisoner, 
or had he succeeded in escaping ?” 

“¢ Well—I—declare, fellows,’’ whispered Eugene, 
in great excitement, pointing to a gentleman dressed 
in broadcloth, who was lying beside the fire with 
his hat over his eyes, as if fast asleep, “‘if that isn’t 
Mr. Bell I never saw him before.” 

The Banner’s crew gazed long and earnestly at 
the prostrate man (if they had been a little nearer 
to him they would have seen that his eyes were wide 
open, and that he was closely watching every move 
they made from under the brim of his hat), and the 
_ whispered decision of each was that it was Mr. Bell. 
They knew him, in spite of his pea-jacket and tar- 
paulin. Was hea smuggler? He must be or else 
he would not have been there. He must be their 
leader, too, for a man like Mr. Bell would never 
occupy a subordinate position among those reugh 
fellows. The young captain and his crew were 
utterly confounded by this new discovery. The 


40 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


mysteries surrounding them seemed to deepen every 
moment. 

“‘ What did I say, yesterday, when Walter finished 
reading that article in the paper?’ asked Perk, 
after a long pause. “ Didn’t I tell you that if we 
had got into a fight with Bayard and his crowd, we 
would have whipped three of the relatives of the 
ringleader of the band?” 

“Well, what’s to be done?” asked Eugene. 
‘*We don’t want to sit here inactive, while Chase 
is up in that cave, and Fred Craven a prisoner on 
board the schooner. One may be in need of help, 
the other certainly is, and we ought to bestir our- 
selves. Suggest something, somebody.” 

‘Let us act as though we suspected nothing 
wrong, and go ashore and make some inquiries of 
Mr. Bell concerning Chase and the pirogue,” said 
Walter. ‘ We're here, we can’t get away as long 
as this gale continues, and we might as well put a 
bold face on the matter.” 

‘“‘That’s the idea. Shall somebody stay on board 
to keep an eye on the deserters ?”’ 

‘“‘T hardly think it will be necessary. They ll 
not be able to work their way out of the hold before 


we return.” 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 41 


“But the smugglers might take possession of the 
vessel.”” 

‘Tf that is their intention, our presence or «b- 
sence will make no difference to them. They can 
take the yacht now as easily as they could if we were 
ashore.” 

Walter’s suggestion being approved by the crew, 
they sprang over the rail, and walking around the 
cove—the Banner was moored at the bank opposite 
the fire—came up to the place where Mr. Bell was 
lying. He started up at the sound of their foot- 
steps, and rubbing his eyes as if just aroused from 
a sound sleep, said pleasantly : 

“You young gentlemen must be very fond of 
yachting, to venture out on a night like this. Did 
you come in here to get out of reach of the wind?” 

** No, sir,’ replied Walter. ‘We expected to 
find Henry Chase on the island.” 

‘‘ And he is somewhere about here, too,” ex- 
claimed Wilson. ‘‘We saw him standing in the 
mouth of ‘The Kitchen,’ not fifteen minutes ago.”’ 

“The Kitchen!’ echoed Mr. Bell, raising him- 
self on his elbow and looking up at the cave in 
question. “ Why, how could he get up there, and 


4? THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


we know nothing about it? We've been here more 
than an hour.” 

‘“‘Haven’t you seen him?” asked Walter. 

SANG 

‘But you must have heard him shouting to us 
when we came into the cove.”’ 

‘Why no, I did not,” replied Mr. Bell, with: an 
air of surprise. ‘In the first place, what object 
could he have in visiting the island, alone, on a night 
like this? And in the next, how could he come 
here without a boat ?”’ 

“There ought to be a boat somewhere about 
here,’ said Walter, while his companions looked 
wonderingly at one another, ‘‘ because Pierre and 
Coulte brought him over here in a pirogue.” 

It now seemed Mr. Bell’s turn to be astonished. 
He looked hard at Walter, as if trying to make up 
his mind whether or not he was really in earnest, 
and then a sneering smile settled on his face; and 
stretching himself out on his blanket again he 
pulled his hat over his eyes, remarking as he did 
SO: 

‘* All I have to say is, that Chase was a blockhead 
to let them do it.” | 

‘Now just listen to me a minute, Mr. Bell, and 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 43 


Tll tell you what’s a fact,’’ said Perk, earnestly. 
““He couldn’t help it, for he was tied hard and 
fast.”’ 

The gentleman lifted his hat from his eyes, 
gazed at Perk a moment, smiled again, and said: 
“¢ Humph:”’ 

“<1 know it is so,” insisted Perk, ‘‘ because I saw 
him and had hold of him. I had hold of Coulte 
too; and if I get my hands on him again to-night, 
he won't escape so easily.” 

“ What object could the old Frenchman and his 
son have had in tying Chase hand and foot, and 
taking him to sea in a dugout ?”’ 

‘Their object was to get him out of the way,” 
said Walter. ‘‘ Chase knows that Coulte’s two 
sons belong to a gang of smugglers, and they wanted 
to put him where he would have no opportunity to 
communicate his discovery to anybody.” 

‘Smugglers!’ repeated the gentleman, in a tone 
of voice that was exceedingly aggravating. ‘“ Smug- 
glers about Bellville? Humph . 

“Yes sir, smugglers,’ answered Wilson, with a 
good deal of spirit. ‘‘ And we have evidence that 
you will perhaps. put some faith in—the word of 
your own son.” 


44 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


“QO, Iam not disputing you, young gentlemen,” 
said Mr. Bell, settling his hands under his head, 
and crossing his feet as if he were preparing to go 
to sleep. ‘‘I simply say that your story looks to 
me rather unreasonable; and I would not advise 
you to repeat it in the village for fear of getting 
yourselves into trouble. I have not seen Pierre, or 
Coulte, or Chase to-night. Perhaps the captain 
has, or some of his men, although it is hardly prob- 
able. As I am somewhat wearied with my day’s 
work, I hope you will allow me to go to sleep.” 

‘“‘ Certainly, sir,” said Walter. ‘Pardon us for 
disturbing you.” 

So saying, the young commander of the Banner 
turned on his heel and walked off, followed by his 
crew. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 45 


CHAPTER III. 
OUTWITTED. 


17 ELL,” continued Walter, after he and his 
companions had walked out. of earshot of 
Mr. Bell; “‘ what do you think of that.’’ 
“‘ Let somebody else tell,”’ said Bab. ‘It bangs 
me completely.” » 


’ 


“¢ Now I'll tell you something,” observed Perk: 
“‘ He is trying to humbug us—I could see it in his 
eye. If there is a fellow among us who didn’t see 
Henry Chase standing in the mouth of the cave, 
when we rounded the point, and hear him shout to 
us that that schooner there is a smuggler, and that 
Fred Craven is a prisoner on board of her, let him 
say so.” 

Perk paused, and the Banner’s crew looked 
at one another, but no one spoke. They had all 
seen Chase, and had heard and understood his 
words. ; 


“That is proof enough that Chase is on the 


45 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


island,” said Walter, ‘for it is impossible that five | 
of us should have been so deceived. Now, if we 
heard and saw him, what’s the reason Mr. Bell 
didn’t? That pirogue must be hidden about here 
somewhere. If you fellows will look around for it, 
I will go back to the yacht, see how our deserters — 
are getting on, and bring a lantern and an axe. 
Then we'll go up and give ‘The Kitchen’ a tho- 
rough overhauling.” 

Walter hurried off, and his crew began beating 
about through the bushes, looking for the pirogue. 
They searched every inch of the ground they passed 
over, peeping into hollow logs, and up into the 
branches of the trees, and examining places in 
_which one of the paddles of the canoe could scarcely 
have been stowed away, but without success. There 
was one place however, where they did not look, and 
that was in the fire, beside which Mr. Bell lay. 
Had they thought of that, they might have found 
something. 

When Walter returned with the axe and the 
lighted lantern, the crew reported the result of their 
search, and the young captain, disappointed and more 
perplexed than ever, led the way toward “The | 
Kitchen.” While they were going up the gully, they 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 47 


stopped to cut a pole, with which to ascend to the 
cave, and looked everywhere for signs of anybody 
having passed along the path that night; but it was 
dark among the bushes, and the light of the lantern 
revealed not a single foot-print. Arriving at the 
bluff, they placed the pole against the ledge, and 
climbing up one after the other, entered the cave, 
leaving Eugene at the mouth to keep an eye on the 
yacht, and on the movements of the smugglers be- 
low. But their search here was also fruitless. 
There was the wood which the last visitors from the 
village had provided to cook their meals, the dried 
leaves that had served them for a bed, and the re- 
mains of their camp-fire; but that was all. The 
axe that had done Chase such good service, his 
blankets, bacon, and everything else he had brought 
there, as well as the boy himself, had disappeared. 
Eugene, who was deeply interested in the move- 
ments of his companions, did not perform the part 
of watchman very well. On two or three occasions 
he left his post and entered the cave to assist in the 
search; and once when he did this, Mr. Bell, who 
still kept his recumbent position by the fire, made 
a sign with his hand, whereupon two men glided 
from the bushes that lined the beach, and clamber- 


48 TILE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


ing quickly over the side of the smuggling vessel, 
crept across the deck and dived into the hold. 
Eugene returned to the mouth of the cave just as 
they went down the ladder, but did not see them. 

‘‘Now then,’’ said Walter, when the cave had 
been thoroughly searched, ‘‘some of you fellows 
who are good at unravelling mysteries, explain this. 
What has become of Chase? Did he leave the cave 
_of his own free will, and if so, how did he get out? 
We found no pole by which he could have descended, 
and consequently he must have hung by his hands 
from the ledge and dropped to the ground. But 
he would not have done that for fear of a sprained 
ankle. He surely did not allow any one to come 
up here and take him out, for with a handful of 
these rocks he could have held the cave against a 
dozen men. Besides, he would: have shouted for 
help, and we should have heard him.” ~ 

None of the crew had a word to say in regard to 
Chase’s mysterious disappearance. They sighed 
deeply, shook their heads, and looked down at the 
ground, thus indicating quite as plainly as they 
could have done by words, that the matter was alto- 
gether too deep for their comprehension. More 
bewildered than ever, they followed one another 


e 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 49 


down the pole, and retraced their steps toward the 
beach. 

‘** What shall we do to pass away the time until 
the tug and cutter arrive ?’’ asked Perk. ‘I wish 
that schooner could find a tongue long enough to 
tell us what she’s got stowed away in her hold.”’ 

“‘If she could, and told you the truth, she would 
assure you that Fred Craven is there,” said Wilson, 
confidently. ‘Of that I am satisfied. He’s on 
some vessel, for Chase told me so while we were at 
Coulte’s cabin. If this schooner is an honest mer- 
chantman, why did she come in here? There’s 
nothing the matter with her that I can see. She 
didn’t come in to get out of the wind, for she can 
certainly stand any sea that the Banner can out- 
ride. Coulte and his sons belong to the smugglers, 
because I heard Bayard say so. Chase told me 
that he was to be carried to the island in a pirogue, 
and we met her as she came down the bayou. Now, 
put these few things together, and to my mind they 
explain the character of this vessel and the reason 
why she is here.”’ 

‘‘Go on,” said Eugene. ‘‘ Puta few other things 
together, and see if you can explain where Chase 


went in such a hurry.” 


. . 4 


50 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


“That is beyond me quite. But the matter will 
be cleared up in a very few minutes,”’ added Wilson, 
gleefully, “ for here comes the cutter.” 

As he spoke, the revenue vessel came swiftly 
around the point; and so overjoyed were the boys to 
see her, that they swung their hats around their 
heads and greeted her with cheers that awoke a 
thousand echoes among the bluffs. Being better 
handled than the Banner was when she came in, 
she glided between the two vessels lying in the cove, 
and running her bowsprit among the bushes on the 
bank, came to a stand still without even a jar. 
Her captain had evidently made preparations to 
perform any work he might find to do without the 
loss of a moment; for no sooner had the cutter 
swung round broadside to the bank, than a company 
’ of men with small-arms tumbled over the side, fol- 
lowed by the second lieutenant, and finally by the 
commander himself. ! 

‘¢ Here we are again, captain,”’ said the latter, as 
Walter came up, “and all ready for business. 
Bring on your smugglers.”’ 

‘“‘ There they are, sir,’ answered Walter, point- 
ing to the crew of the schooner, who had once more 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 51 


congregated about the fire, ‘“‘and there’s their | 
vessel.”’ 

“That !’”’ exclaimed the second lieutenant, open- 
ing his eyes in surprise. ‘‘ You’re mistaken, cap- 
tain. That is the Stella—a trader from Bellville, 
bound for Havana, with an assorted cargo—hams, 
bacon, flour, and the like. I boarded her to-night 
and examined her papers myself. She no doubt 
put in here on account of stress of weather.”’ 

‘Stress of weather !’’ repeated Walter, contempt- 
uously. ‘That little yacht has come from Bell-| 
ville since midnight, and never shipped a bucket of 
water; and the schooner is four times as large as 
she is. Stress of weather, indeed !”’ 

“Well, she is all right, any how.” 

“JT am sure, captain, that if you will take the 
trouble to look into things a little, you will find that 
she is not all right—begging the lieutenant’s pardon 
for differing with him so decidedly,” said Walter. 
*‘ Some strange things have happened since we came 
here.” 

“‘ Well, captain, I will satisfy you on that point, 
seeing that you are so positive,’ replied the com- 
mander of the revenue vessel. ‘‘Mr. Harper,” 


52 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


he added, turning to the lieutenant, “send your 
men on board the cutter and come with me.” 

A landsman would have seen no significance in 
this order, but Walter and his crew did, and they 
were not at all pleased to hear it. The sending of 
the men back on board the vessel was good evidence 
that the revenue captain did not believe a word they 
said, and that he was going to “ look into things,” 
merely to satisfy what he thought to be a boyish 
curiosity. It is not likely that he would have done 
even this much, had he not been aware that the 
young sailors had influential friends on shore who 
might have him called to account for any neglect 
_ of duty. Walter’s disgust and indignation increased 
as they approached the fire. The men composing 
the crew of the smuggling vessel stepped aside to 
allow them to pass, and Mr. Bell advanced with 
outstretched hand, to greet the revenue captain. 

“Why, how is this?’ exclaimed the latter, ac- 
cepting the proffered hand and shaking it heartily. 
‘¢T did not expect to find you here, Mr. Bell. Ah! 
Captain Conway, good morning to you,” he added, 
addressing the red-whiskered master of the schooner. 
‘‘ Captain Gaylord, there is no necessity of carry- 
ing this thing any farther. ‘The presence of these ~ 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 58 


two gentlemen, with both of whom I am well ac- 
quainted, is as good evidence as I want that the 
schooner is not a smuggler.” 

** A smuggler!” repeated the master of the Stella. 

“Why, what is the matter?” asked Mr. Bell, 
opening his eyes in surprise, and looking first at 
Walter, and then at the revenue captain, while the 
crew of the schooner crowded up to hear what was 
going on. 

“Why the truth is, that this young gentleman 
has got some queer ideas into his head concerning 
your vessel. He thinks she is the smuggler of 
which I have been so long in search.”’ 

** And I have the best of reasons for thinking 
so,’ said Walter; not in the least terrified or 
abashed by the angry glances that were directed 
toward him from all sides. ‘In the first place, 
does she not correspond with the description you 
have in your possession 2” 

““T confess that she does,’’ replied the revenue 
captain, running his eye over the schooner from 
cross-trees to water-line. 

‘She answers the description much better than 
the yacht, does she not ?”’ 

“Yes. Butthen she has papers, which my lieuten- 


54 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


ant has examined, and I know these two gentlemen. 
You had no papers, and I was not acquainted with 
a single man on board your vessel.”’ 

‘“‘ A smuggler !”’ repeated the red-whiskered cap- 
tain, angrily ; “‘I don’t believe there’s such a thing 
in the Gulf.” 


‘‘T am inclined to agree with you,’ 


? 


answered 
the revenue commander. ‘I have looked every- 
where, without finding one.”’ 

“JT own the cargo with which this vessel is 
loaded,” said Mr. Bell, producing his pocket-book, 
and handing some papers to the revenue captain, 
who returned them without looking at them, “ and 
there are the receipts of the merchants from whom 
I purchased it. I am a passenger on her because I 
believe that, by going to Cuba, I can dispose of the 
cargo to much better advantage than I could sell it 
through agents. That is why I am here.” 

“And the schooner is heavily loaded, and I 
couldn’t make the run without straining her,”’ said 
the master of the Stella. ‘Having got into the 
cove I must wait until the wind dies away before I 
can go out. That’s why J am here.”’ 

The commander of the cutter listened with an air 
which said very plainly, that this was all unnecessary 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 55 


—that he had made up his mind and it could not 
be changed—and then turned to Walter as if to ask 
what he had to say in reply. 

““ What these men have said may be true and it 
may not,’ declared the young captain, boldly. 
“The way to ascertain is to search the schooner. 
There are some articles on board of her that are 
not down in her bills of lading.” 

“And if there are it is no business of mine,” 
returned the commander of the cutter. 

“Tt isn’t!’ exclaimed Walter in great amaze- 
ment. ‘* Then I'd like to know just how far a 
revenue officer’s business extends. Haven’t you 
authority to search any vessel you suspect ?”’ 

“ Certainly’ I have; but I don’t suspect this 
schooner. And, even if I did, I would not search 
her now, because she is outward bound. If she has 
contraband articles on board, the Cuban revenue 
officers may look to it, for I will not. AllI have to 
do is to prevent, as far as lies in my power, articles 
from being smuggled into the United States; I don’t 
care a snap what goes out.” 

“But you ought to care. There is a boy on 
board that schooner, held as a prisoner.” 


‘Why is he held as a prisoner ?”’ 


56 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘‘ Because he knows something about the smng- 
glers, and they are afraid to allow him his liberty.” 

“ Humph!’’ exclaimed Mr. Bell. 

‘“‘ very word of that is false,” cried the master 
of the Stella, who seemed to be almost beside 
himself with fury. ‘It is a villainous attempt to 
injure me and my vessel.”’ 

“‘ Keep your temper, captain,” said the commander 
of the cutter. “I want to see if this young man 
knows what he is talking about. Where are those 
two smugglers who brought that boy over here in a 
canoe ?”” 

‘“‘T don’t know, sir. We have searched the island 
and can find no trace of them.”’ 

“That is a pretty good sign that they are not 
here. Where is the boat they came in?” 

‘““T don’t know that either. It is also missing.” 

‘“‘ Where is the boy they brought with them ?” 

‘‘When the Banner rounded the point he was 
standing in the mouth of that cave,” replied Walter, 
pointing to the Kitchen, “and shouted to us to get 
away from here while we could—that this schooner 
is a smuggler and that Fred Craven is a prisoner 
on board of her.”’ 


*¢ Well, where is the boy now ?” 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. oT 


*‘T can’t tell you, sir.” 

**Isn’t he on the island ?” 

“We can find no signs of him.” 

‘Then he hasn’t been here to-night.”’ 

“‘ He certainly has,’’ replied Walter, ‘for we saw 
him and heard him too.” 

*¢ Who did ?” 

“‘ Every one of the crew of the Banner.” 

“Did anybody else? Did you, Mr. Bell? Or 
you, Captain Conway? Or any of your men ?”’ 

The persons appealed to answered with a most 
decided negative. They had seen no boy in the 
cave, heard no voice, and knew nothing about a 
prisoner or a pirogue. There was one thing they 
- did know, however, and that was that no dugout 
that was ever built could traverse forty miles of the 
Gulf in such a sea as that which was running last 
night. 


? 


‘Well, young man,” said the revenue officer, 
addressing the captain of the yacht somewhat sternly, 
‘**T am sure I don’t know what to think of you.” 
“Yu are at liberty to think what you please, 
sir,” replied Walter, with spirit. “I have told 
you the truth, if you don’t believe it search that 


schooner.’”’ 


58 THE SPORTSMAN'S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘You have failed to give me any reason why I 
should do so. Your story is perfectly ridiculous. 
You say that a couple of desperate smugglers cap- 
tured an acquaintance of yours and put him ina 
canoe; that you met them in a bayou on the main 
shore and had a fight with them; that they eluded 
you and came out into the Gulf in a gale that no. 
small boat in the world could stand, and brought 
their prisoner to this island. When I expressed a 
reasonable doubt of the story, you offered, if I would 
come here with you, to substantiate every word of 
it. Now I am here, and you can not produce a 
scrap of evidence to prove that you are not trying 
to make game of me. The men, the boy, and the 
boat they came in, are not to be found. I wouldn’t 
advise you to repeat a trick of this kind or you 
may learn to your cost that it is a serious matter 
to trifle with a United States officer when in the 
discharge of his duty. Mr. Bell, as the wind has 
now subsided so that I can go out, I wish you good- 
by and a pleasant voyage,”’ 

‘“‘Qne moment, captain,” said Walter, as the 
revenue commander was about to move off; ‘‘per- 
haps you will think I am trifling with you, if I tell 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 59 


you that I have some deserters from your vessel on 
board my yacht.” 

“‘ Have you? I am glad to hear it. I have missed 
them, and I know who they are. I thought they 
had gone ashore at Bellville, and it was by stopping 
to leok for them that I lost so much time. Haul 
your yacht alongside the cutter and put them 
aboard.” 

‘‘T am going to set them at liberty right where | 
the yacht lies,’’ replied Walter, indignant at the 
manner in which the revenue captain had treated — 
him, and at the insolent tone of voice in which the 
order was issued; “and you can stand by to take 
charge of them or not, just as you please.” 

“* How many of them are there ?”’ 

“Two.” 

“Only two? Then the others must have gone 
ashore at Bellville, after all,’’ added the captain, 
turning to his second lieutenant. ‘I wish they had 
taken your vesssel out of your hands and run away 
with it. You need bringing down a peg or two, 
worse than any boy I ever saw.” 

Walter, without stopping to reply, turned on his 
heel, and walked around the cove to the place 
where the Banner lay, followed by his crew, who 


60 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


gave vent to their astonishment and indignation in 
no measured terms. ‘The deserters were released 
at once. When informed that their vessel was close 
at hand, and that their captain was expecting them, 
they ascended to the deck, looking very much dis- 
appointed and crestfallen, and stood in the waist 
until the cutter came alongside and took them off. 
They were both powerful men, and the boy-tars ° 
were glad indeed that they had been discovered be- 
fore they gained a footing on deck. If Walter had 
been in his right mind he would have examined the 
hold after those two men left it; but he was so be- 
wildered by the strange events that had transpired 
since he came into the cove, that he could think of 
nothing else. 

While the crew of the yacht were liberating the 
deserters, the smuggling vessel filled away for the 
Gulf—her captain springing upon the rail long 
enough to shake his fist at Walter—and as soon as 
she was fairly out of the cove, the cutter followed, 
and shaped her course toward Bellville. 

The boys watched the movements of the two ves- 
sels in silence, and when they had passed behind 
the point out of sight, turned with one accord to. 


THE SPORTSMAN S CLUB AFLOAT. 61 


Walter, who was thoughtfully pacing his quarter- 
deck, with his hands behind his back. 


? 


“Eugene,” said the young captain, at length, 
“‘did you keep an eye on the smuggler all the time 
that we were in The Kitchen.”’ 

““Q, yes,” replied Eugene, confidently. “I saw 
everything that happened on her deck.” And he 
thought he did, but he forgot that he had two or 
three times left his post. 

“You didn’t see Chase taken on board the 
schooner, did you?” 

‘J certainly did not. If I had, I should have 
said something about it.” 

“Then there is only one explanation to this 
mystery: Chase was somehow spirited out of the 
cave and hidden on the island. We will make one 
more attempt to find him. ‘Three of us will go 
ashore and thoroughly search these woods and cliffs, 
and the others stay and watch the yacht.” 

Walter, Perk, and Bab, after arming themselves 
with handspikes, sprang ashore and bent their steps 
toward The Kitchen to begin their search for the 
missing Chase. As before, no signs of him were 
found in the cave, although every nook and crevice 


large enough to conceal a squirrel, was peeped into. 


62 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


Next the gully received a thorough examination, 
and finally they came to the bushes on the side of 
the bluff. A suspicious-looking pile of leaves under 
a rock attracted Bab’s attention, and he thrust his 
handspike into it. The weapon came in contact 
with something which struggled feebly, and uttered 
a smothered, groaning sound, which made Bab start 
back in astonishment. 

“‘ What have you there ?’’ asked Walter, from the 
foot of the bluff. 

“T don’t know, unless it is a varmint of some 
kind that has taken up his winter quarters here. 
Come up, and let’s punch him out.” 

Perk and Walter clambered up the bluff to the 
ledge, and while one raised his handspike in readi- 
ness to deal the ‘‘ varmint”’ a death-blow the instant . 
he showed himself, the others cautiously pushed 
aside the leaves, and presently disclosed to view— 
not a wild animal, but a pair of heavy boots, the 
heels of which were armed with small silver spurs. 
One look at them was enough. With a common 
impulse the three boys dropped their handspikes, 
and pulling away the leaves with frantic haste, soon 
dragged into sight the missing boy, securely bound 
and gagged, and nearly suffocated. To give him 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 63 


the free use of his hands and feet, and remove the 
stick that was tied between his teeth, was but the 
work of a moment. When this had been done, 
Chase slowly raised himself to a sitting posture, 
-gasping for breath, and looking altogether pretty 
well used up. 

‘You don’t know how grateful I am to you, fel- 
lows,’’ said he, at last, speaking in a hoarse whisper. 
“T’ve had a hard time of it during the half hour 
I have been stowed away in that hole, and I never 
expected to see daylight again.” 

‘“Now I'll tell you what’s a fact,” said Perk. 
“You never would have got out of there alive if 
Walter hadn’t been thoughtful enough to search the 
island before going home. Now let me ask you 
something: Where did you go in such a hurry, 
after shouting to us from the mouth of The Kit- 
chen ?” 

“<I can’t talk much, feliows, till I get something 
to moisten my tongue,” was the almost indistinct 
reply. “If you will help me to the spring, I will 
tell you all about it. Where are the smugglers ?” 

“Don’t know. We haven’t seen any,” said 
Walter. 

_ You haven't?” whispered Chase, in great 


64. THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


amazement. ‘‘ Didn’t you see those men who were 
standing on the beach when you came in ?”’ 

“Yes; but they are not smugglers. They’ve 
got clearance papers, and the captain of the cutter 
says he knows they are all right. Besides, one of ' 
of them was Mr. Bell.” 

‘No difference; I know they are smugglers by 
their own confession, and that Mr. Bell is the leader 
of them. 0, it’s a fact, fellows; I know what I 
am talking about. Where are they now ?”’ 

“Gone.” 

“‘ Gone! Where?” 

“To Havana, most likely. That’s the port their 
vessel cleared for.”’ 

“And did you rescue Fred Craven? I know 
you didn’t by your looks. Well, you'll have to 
find that schooner again if you want to see him, for 
he’s on board of her, and—wait till I rest awhile, 
fellows, and get a drink of water.” 

Seeing that it was with the greatest difficulty 
that Chase could speak, Perk and Walter lifted him 
to his feet, and assisted him to walk down the gully. 
while Bab followed after, carrying the handspikes 
on his shoulder. Arriving at the spring, Chase lay 
down beside it and took a large and hearty drink, 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 65 


now and then pausing to testify to the satisfaction 
he felt by shaking his head, and uttering long- 
drawn sighs. After quenching his thirst, and 
taking a few turns up and down the path to stretch 
his arms and legs, he felt better. 


66 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


CHAPTER IV. 
FAIRLY AFLOAT. 


HE first thing, fellows,” said Chase, ‘is to tell 
you that I am heartily sorry I have treated 
you so shabbily.”’ 

“‘ Now, please don’t say a word about that,” in- 
terrupted Walter, kindly. “We don’t th.uk hard 
of you for anything you have done, and besides we 
‘have more important matters to talk about.” 

‘‘T know how ready you are, Walter Gaylord, 
to overlook an injury that is done you—you and 
the rest of the Club—and that is just what makes 
me feel so mean,’’ continued Chase, earnestly. ‘I 
was not ashamed to wrong-you, and I ought not to 
be ashamed to ask your forgiveness. JI made up 
my mind yesterday, while we were disputing about 
those panther scalps (to which we had not the small- 
est shadow of a right, as we knew very well), to 
‘give Fred Craven a good thumping, if 1 was man 
enough to do it, for beating me in the race for Vice- 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 67 


Commodore; and the next time I met him he paid 
me for it in a way I did not expect. Ile tried to 
assist me, and got himself into a terrible scrape 
by it.” 

“That is just what we want to hear about,” said 
Bab, ‘‘ and you are the only one who can enlighten 
us. But Eugene and Wilson would like to listen to 
the story also; and if you can walk so far, I sug- 
gest that we go on board the yacht.” 

‘¢ What do you suppose has become of Coulte and 
Pierre ?”’ asked Walter. ‘Are they still on the 
island ?”’ 

‘*‘No, indeed,” replied Chase. ‘If the rest of 
the smugglers are gone, of course they went with 
them.” : 

After Chase had taken another drink from the 
spring, he accompanied his deliverers down the 
gully. The watch on board the yacht discovered 
them as they came upon the beach, and pulling off 
their hats, greeted them with three hearty cheers. 
When they reached the vessel, Wilson testified tc 
_ the joy he felt at meeting his long-lost friend once 
more, by seizing him by the arms and dragging him 
bodily over the rail. . | 

“One moment, fellows !’’ exclaimed Walter, and 


68 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


his voice arrested the talking and confusion at once. 
‘Chase, are you positive that Featherweight is a 
prisoner on board that schooner ?”’ 

“Tam; and I know he will stay there until he 
reaches Havana, unless something turns up in his 
favor.” 

‘Then we've not an instant to waste in talking,” 
said the young captain. ‘‘We must keep that 
schooner in sight, if it is within the bounds of pos- 
sibility. Get under way, Perk.” 

‘“ Hurrah !’’ shouted Eugene, fdegotiieas in the 
excitement of the moment the object for which their 
cruise was about to be undertaken. ‘* Here’s for a 
sail clear to Cuba.” 

‘* Now, just listen to mea minute and I'll tell 
you what’s a fact,” said Perk. ‘One reason why 
I fought so hard against those deserters was, because 
I was afraid that if they got control of the vessel 
they would take us out to sea; and now we are 
going out of our own free will.” 

‘¢ And with not aman on board ;” chimed in Bab, 
“nobody to depend upon but ourselves. This 
will be something to talk about when we get back to 
Bellville, won't it?” — 

The crew worked with a will, and in a very few 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 69 


minutes the Banner was once more breasting the 
waves of the Gulf, her prow being turned toward 
the West Indies. As soon as she was fairly out of 
the cove, a half a dozen pairs of eyes were anxiously 
directed toward the southern horizon, and there, 
about three miles distant, was the Stella, scudding 
along under all the canvas she could carry. The 
gaze of the young sailors was then directed toward 
the Louisiana shore; but in that direction not a 
eraft of any kind was in sight, except the revenue 
cutter, and she was leaving them behind every 
moment. Exclamations of wonder arose on all 
sides, and every boy turned to Walter, ag’ if he 
could tell them all about it, and wanted to know 
_what was the reason the tug had not arrived. 

**T don’t understood it any better than you do, 
fellows,” was the reply. ‘‘She ought to have 
reached the island in advance of us. And I don’t 
see why the Lookout hasn’t put in an appearance. 
If father and Uncle Dick reached home last night, 
they’ve had plenty of time to come to our assist- 
ance. It would do me good to see her come up and 
overhaul that schooner.”’ 

“Isn't that a cutter, off there ?’’ asked Chase, 
who had been attentively regarding the revenne 


1D THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


vessel through Walter’s glass. ‘‘ Let’s signal to her 
She’ll help us.”’ 

‘“‘Humph! See wouldn’t pay the least attention 
tous; we’vetried her. The captain wouldn’t believe 
a word we said to him.”’ 

It was now about nine o’clock in the morning, 
and a cold, dismal morning it was, too. The gale 
of the night before had subsided into a capital sail- 
ing wind, but there was considerable sea running, 
and_a suspicious-looking bank of clouds off to wind- 
ward, which attracted the attention of the yacht’s 
company the moment they rounded the point. The 
crew Tooked at Walter, and he looked first at the 
sky and clouds and then at the schooner. He had 
been on the Gulf often enough to know that it, 
would not be many hours before the sea-going quali- 
ties of his little vessel, the nerve of her crew, and 
the skill on which he prided himself, would be put 
to a severer test than they had yet experienced, and 
for a moment he hesitated. But it was only for a 
moment. ‘The remembrance of the events that 
had just transpired in the cove, the dangers with 
which Fred Craven was surrounded, and the deter- 
mination he had more than once expressed to stand 


by him until he was rescued—all these things came 


THE SPORTSMAN'S CLUB AFLOAT. T1 


into his mind, and his course was quickly decided 
upon. Although he said nothing, his crew knew 
what he was thinking about, and they saw by the 
expression which settled on his face that there was 
ty) be no backing out, no matter what happened. 

“T was dreadfully afraid you were going to turn 
back, Walter,’ said Eugene, drawing a long breath 
of relief. 

‘“¢T would have opposed such a proceeding as long 
as I had breath to speak or could think of a word 
to utter,’ said Perk. ‘‘Featherweight’s salvation 
depends upon us entirely, now that the tug has 
failed to arrive and the cutter has gone back on us.” 

‘¢ But, fellows, we are about to undertake a bigger 
job than some of you have bargained for, perhaps,”’ 
said Bab. ‘‘ Leaving the storm out of the question, 
there is the matter of provisions. We have eaten 
nothing since yesterday at breakfast, and the lunch 
_we brought on board last night will not make more 
than one hearty meal for six of us. We shall all 
have good appetites by the time we reach Havana, 
I tell you.” 

“‘T can see a way out of that difficulty,” replied 
Walter. ‘‘ We will soon be in the track of vessels 
bound to and from the Balize, and if we fall in with 


yee THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


one of those little New Orleans traders, we will 
speak her and purchase what we want. I don’t 
suppose any of us are overburdened with cash—I 
am not—but if we can raise ten or fifteen dollars, a 
trader will stop for that.’’ } 

‘“¢T will pass around the hat and see how much 
we can scrape together,” said Eugene, ‘‘and while 
I am doing that, suppose we listen to what Chase 
has to say for himself.” 

The young sailors moved nearer to the boy at the 
wheel so that he might have the benefit of the story, 
and while they were counting out their small stock 
of change and placing it in Eugene’s hands, Chase 
began the account of his adventures. He went 
back to the time of the quarrel which Bayard Bell 
and his cousins had raised with himself and Wilson, 
told of the plan he and his companion had decided 
upon to warn Walter of his danger, and described 
how it was defeated by the smugglers. This much 
the Club had already heard from Wilson; but now 
Chase came to something of which they had not 
heard, and that was the incidents that transpired on 
the smuggling vessel. Walter and his companions 
listened in genuine amazement as Chase went on to 
describe the interview he had held with Bayard and 


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THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. Ts 


his cousins (he laughed heartily at the surprise and 
indignation they had exhibited when they found 
him in the locker instead of Walter, although he 
had thought it anything but a laughing matter at 
the time), and to relate what happened after Fred 
Craven arrived. At this stage of his story Chase 
was often interrupted by exclamations of anger; 
and especially were the crew vehement in their ex- 
pressions of wrath, when they learned that Feather- 
_ weight’s trials would by no means be ended when 
he reached Havana—that he was to be shipped as 
a foremast hand on board a Spanish vessel and 
sent off to Mexico. This was all that was needed 
to arouse the fiercest indignation against Mr. Bell. 
The thought that a boy like Fred Craven was to be 
forced into a forecastle, to be tyrannized over by 
some brute of a mate, ordered about in language 
that he could not understand, and perhaps, knocked 
down with a belaying-pin or beaten with a rope’s 
end, because he did not know what was required of 
him—this was too much; and Eugene in his excite- 
ment declared that if Walter would crack on and 
lay the yacht alongside the schooner, they would 
board her, engage in*a hand-to-hand fight with the 
smugglers, and rescue the secretary at all hazards. 


74 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


Had the young captain put this reckless proposition 
to a vote it would have been carried without a dis- 
senting voice. 

When the confusion had somewhat abated Chase 
went on with his story, and finally came to another 
event of which the Club had heard the particulars 
—the siege in Coulte’s house. He described the 
sail down the bayou, the attempted rescue by the 
Club, the voyage to the island during the gale, the 
destruction of the pirogue, and his escape and re- 
treat to The Kitchen. His listeners became more 
attentive than ever when -he reached this point, and 
his mysterious manner increased their impatience 
to hear how he could have been spirited out of the 
cave without being seen by any one. 

‘“‘Tt was a surprise to me,’’ said Chase, “but it 
was done as easily as falling off a log. After I fell 
asleep the Stella, seeing the signal which Pierre 
and Coulte had lighted on the top of the bluff, came 
into the cove. I awoke just in time to keep Pierre 
from stealing a march upon me, but too late to pre- 
vent the entrance of Coulte. The old fellow must 
have come in just before I opened my eyes, and he 
was in the cave close behind me all the time I was 


talking to the smugglers; but he kept himself out 


° 


THE SPORTSMAN § CLUB AFLOAT. tO 


of sight, thinking, no doubt, that it would not be a 
safe piece of business to attack me as long as I held 
my axe in my hand. The captain of the Stella 
told me that I was surrounded, and on two different 
occasions asked in a tone of voice loud enough for 
me to hear: ‘Where is Coulte, and why don’t he 
bestir himself?’ This made me believe that there 
was something amiss, and I stood in such a position 
that I could keep an eye on the interior of the cave 
and watch the men below at the same time, thus 
giving Coulte no opportunity to take me at disad- 
vantage. But when I saw the Banner come in, I 
forgot everything in the fear that if you did not 
immediately turn about and leave the cove, you 
would all be captured. Intent upon warning you 
I threw down my axe and shouted to attract your 
attention. This was just what the old Frenchman 
was waiting for. No sooner had the words I shouted 
out to you left my lips, than he jumped up and seized 
me; and before I could say ‘ hard a starboard’ I was 
helpless, being bound and gagged. I had no idea 
the old fellow possessed so much muscle and activity. 
He handled me as if I had been an infant.” 

** But how did he ever get you down from the cave 


without being seen by some of us?’ asked EHugene. 


76 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘‘Q, he had opportunities enough,” said Bab— 
‘while we were getting our vessel free from the 
schooner and out of the bushes for instance.” 

“‘Or while we were talking with Mr. Bell,” said 
Wilson. 

‘“‘ He might have done it while we were looking 
for the pirogue, or at any time within ten minutes 
after we entered the cove,” remarked Walter. ‘I 
for one was so much astonished at what I saw and 
heard when we came around the point, that, after 
Chase ceased speaking to us, I never thought of 
him again until we had got our vessel moored to 
the bank.” 

‘““T can’t tell when it was done, fellows,’’ continued 
Chase, ‘‘but I know it was done. As soon as 
Coulte had secured me, he looked out of the eave, 
waved his hand once or twice, and then began 
throwing out the articles he had given me for an 
outfit. Perhaps he thought you might look in ‘ The 
Kitchen’ for me before you left the island, and he 
didr.’t think it-best to leave any traces of me there. 
In a few minutes Pierre came up with a rope over 
his shoulders. This they made fast under my arms, 
and watching their opportunity, when your atten-. 


tion was engaged with something else, they lowered 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 17 


me into the gully. They then followed me down 
the pole by which Pierre had come up, and hid me 
away under the rocks where you found me.”’ 

And Chase might have added that after they had 
disposed of him, they went on board the smuggling 
vessel and concealed themselves in the hold until 
she was safe out of the cove. But this was some- 
thing of which he had no positive evidence. In a 
few days, however, the crew met some one who told 
them all about it, and then Eugene, to his great 
surprise, learned that if he had faithfully performed 
the part Walter had assigned him, he might have 
been able to make a great change in the fortunes 
of Fred Craven. He could then have revealed to 
the revenue captain the whereabouts of the men 
who had captured Chase and brought him to the 
island, and that gentleman might have been induced 
to look into the matter. : 

When Chase finished his story, and the Club had 
questioned him to their satisfaction, he expressed a 
desire to hear what had happened to them since 
they last met. Hugene spoke for his companions, 
and it is certain that there was not another member 
of the Club who could have described their adven- 


tures in more glowing language, or shown up the 


78 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


obstinacy and stupidity of the revenue captain, in 
amore damaging light. Eugene said he could not 
tell what had become of the remains of the pirogue, 
or tell how Coulte and Pierre had left the island; 
but he made everything else clear to Chase, who, 
when the story was finished, was as indignant as 
any of the Club. The incidents of the interview 
with Mr. Bell were thoroughly discussed, and the 
conclusion arrived at was, that they had been very 
nicely outwitted ; that the smugglers had played 
their part to perfection; and that the revenue cap- 
tain was totally unfit for the position he held. 

During the next hour nothing worthy of record 
transpired on board the yacht. Walter kept as_ 
much sail on her as she could carry, and although 
she did splendidly, as the heaving of the log proved, 

she moved much too slowly to suit her impatient 
crew. Directly in advance, apparently no nearer 
and no farther away than when the pursuit began, 
was the smuggling vessel; and in the west was that 
angry-looking cloud, whose approach the boy-sailors 
awaited with no little uneasiness. ' 

Having had their talk out, Fred Craven’s myste- 
rious disappearance having been fully explained, — 
and knowing that nothing could be done to assist — 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 79 


him until the schooner was overtaken and help ob- 
tained from some source, the crew of the Banner 
began to busy themselves about matters that de- 
manded their immediate attention, with a view to 
making their voyage across the Gulf as safe and 
agreeable as possible. The first thing to be done 
was to put Chase and Wilson at their ease. Now 
that their excitement had somewhat worn away, 
these young gentlemen began to look upon them- 
_ selves as interlopers, and to wish that they were 
anywhere but on board the yacht. Their desire to 
assist Featherweight was as strong as ever, but re- 
membering all that had passed, and judging the 
Club by themselves, they believed that their absence 
would have suited Walter and his friends quite as 
well as their company. Nothing had been done, a 
word said, or a look given to make them think so, 
but the manner in which they conducted themselves 
showed plainly enough that such was their impres- 
sion. They took no part in the conversation now, 
answered the questions that were asked them only 
in monosyllables, and exhibited a desire to get away 
from the crew and keep by themselves. The Club 
‘gaw and understood it all, and tried hard to make 
them believe that all old differences had been for 


80 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


gotten, and that their offers of friendship were sin- 
cere. When lunch was served up—the last crumb 
the baskets contained was eaten, for Walter said 
that one square meal would do them more good 
than two or three scanty ones—the Club made 
them talk by asking them all sorts of questions, 
and requesting their advice as to their future opera- 
tions; and Eugene even went so far as to offer 
Wilson the bow-oar of the Spray to pull in the 
next regetta—a position which he regarded as a 
post of honor, and which, under ordinary cireum- 
stances, he would have been loth to surrender to 
his best friend. Wilson declined, but Eugene in- 
sisted, little dreaming that when the next regatta 
came off, the Spray would be locked up in the boat- 
house and covered with dust, while he and the rest 
of her gallant crew would be thousands of miles 
away. 

By the time lunch had been disposed of, the Club, 
by their united efforts, had succeeded in dispelling | 
all doubts from the minds of their late enemies, and 
harmony and good feeling began to prevail. While 
the dishes were being packed away in the baskets, 
Wilson discovered a sail which he pointed out to 
Walter, who, with his glass in his hand, ascended 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 81 


to the cross-trees. After a few minutes’ examina- 
tion of the stranger, he came down again, and the 
course of the Banner was altered so as to intercept 
the approaching vessel. At the end of an hour she 
was in plain sight, and proved to be a schooner 
about the size of the Stella—a coaster, probably. 
In thirty minutes more the two vessels were hove-to 
within speaking distance of each other; Walter, 
with his trumpet in his hand was perched upon the 
yacht’s rail, and the master of the schooner stood 
with one hand grasping the shrouds and the other 
behind his ear, waiting to hear what was said to him. 

‘Schooner ahoy!’’ shouted Walter. 

“Ay! ay! sir!’ was the answer. 

‘“<] have no provisions; can you spare me some?” 

The captain of the schooner, after gazing up at 
the clouds and down at the water, asked: ‘ How 
much do you want?” | 

“How much money did you raise, Eugene?” 
asked the young commander, turning to his brother. 

“Thirty dollars. And that’s every cent there is 
on board the yacht.” 

“¢ About twenty-five dollars worth,”’ shouted Wal 
term 

“What sort?” 

6 


82 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


“Every sort—beef, pork, coffee, sugar, biscuit, 
and some fresh vegetables, if you have them. I 
haven’t a mouthful on board.” 

After a short time spent in conversation with a 
man who stood at his side, during which he was 
doubtless expressing his astonishment that the com- 
mander of any craft should be foolish enough to 
venture so far from land without a mouthful of pro- 
visions for himself and crew, the captain of the 
schooner called out: 

“ All right. I reckon I shall have to take them 
aboard of you?’ 

‘Yes, sir. [ have no small boat to send after 
them.” 

The captain walked away from the rail, and the 
young yachtsmen, overjoyed at their success, began 
to express their appreciation of his kindness in no 
measured terms. It wasn’t every shipmaster who 
would have sold them the provisions, and not one 
in a hundred who would have sent his own bat to 
bring them aboard. 

“It is the money he is after,” said Walter. 
‘‘ These little traders will do almost anything to 
turn a penny. Now Chase, hold her just as she is, _ 
as nearly as you can. LHugene, open the fore-hatch 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 83 


and rig a block and tackle; and the rest of us turn 
to and get up some boxes and barrels from the hold 
to stow the provisions in.”’ 

The crew, headed by Walter carrying a lighted 
lantern, went down into the galley and opened the 
hold. What was the reason they did not hear the 
strange sounds that came up from below as they 
threw back the hatch? They might have heard 
them if they had not been so busy thinking and 
talking about something else—sounds that would 
have created a panic among them at once, for they 
strongly resembled the shuffling of feet and angry 
excited whispering. It was dark in the hold in 
spite of the light the lantern threw out, or Walter, 
as he leaped through the hatchway, might have seen 
the figure which crept swiftly away and hid itself 
behind one of the water-butts. 

The barrels for the pork, beef, fresh vegetables 
and biscuit, and the boxes for the coffee and sugar 
were quickly selected by Walter and passed up to 
Wilson in the galley, who in turn handed them up 
to Bab through the fore-hatchway. When this had 
been done the boys below returned to the deck and 
“waited for the schooner’s yawl, which soon made its 


84 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLUAT. 


appearance, rowed by four sailors and steered by the 
captain. | 

Judging by the size of the load in the boat they 
had a liberal man to deal with, for he was bringing 
them a goodly supply of provisions in return for 
their promised twenty-five dollars. When he came 
alongside the yacht he sprang over the rail and 
gazed about him with a good deal of surprise and 
curiosity. 

‘‘ Where’s the captain ?” he asked. 

‘‘ Here I am, sir,’’ replied Walter. 

The master of the schooner stared hard at the 
boy, then at each of his companions, ran his eye 
over the deck and rigging of the little vessel, which 
was doubtless cleaner and more neatly kept than 
his own, and finally turned and gave Walter another 
good looking over. ‘‘ Are these your crew?” he in- 
quired, waving his hand toward the young sailors. 

sY 08, site: 

“No men on board ?” 

‘<Not one.” | 

‘Well, now, I would like to know what you are 
doing so far from shore in such a boat, and in such 
weather as this. Are you running away from 


home ?”’ 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 85 


“No, sir,”’ replied Walter, emphatically. ‘+ Our 
homes are made so pleasant for us that we wouldn’t 
think of such a thing.” 

‘* Perhaps you are lost, then ?”’ 

““No, sir. We know just where we are going 
and what we intend todo. Our vessel is perfectly 
safe, and this rough weather doesn’t trouble us. 
We're used to it. Shall we stand by to take the 
provisions aboard ?”’ 

It was clear enough to the yacht’s company, that 
the captain would have given something to know 
what they were doing out there, where they were 
going, and what their business was, but he made no 
further attempts to pry into their affairs. The 
manner in which the yacht was handled when she 
came alongside his own vessel, and the coolness and 
confidence manifested by her boy crew, satisfied him 
that they understood what they were about, and 
that was as much as he had any right to know. 
The provisions were quickly hoisted aboard and paid 
for; and after Walter had cordially thanked the 
master of the schooner for the favor received at his 
hands, and the latter had wished Walter a safe run 
and success in his undertaking, whatever it was, the 


two vessels parted company—one continuing her 


86 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


voyage toward New Orleans, and the other filling 
away in pursuit of the smuggler, which was by this 
time almost hull down. 

‘“‘ Now, fellows, let’s turn to and get these things 
out of the way,” said Walter, springing down from 
the rail, after waving a last farewell to the master 
of the schooner. ‘I feel better than I did two 
hours ago, for, to tell the truth, I was by no means 
certain that we should meet a vessel; or, if we did, 
I was afraid she might be commanded by some one 
who would pay no attention to our request. Sup- 
pose we had been knocked about on the Gulf for two 
or three days, with nothing to eat! Wouldn’t we 
have been in a nice fix? Now, Perk, we've got 
business for you; and I suggest that you serve us 
up a cup of hot coffee and a good dinner, with as 
little delay as possible.”’ 

“¢ Now, just listen to me a minute, and I'll tell you 
what's a fact,” replied Perk. ‘I can’t take charge 
of the galley and act as second in command of the 
yacht at the same time, so I will resign my lieuten- 
ancy in favor of Chase, if you will appoint him.” 

‘Of course I will,” said Walter. 

‘I can’t take it, fellows,” shouted Chase, from — 
his place at the wheel. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. ST 


*¢ You've no voice in the matter,” replied Eugene. 
“Tt is just as the captain says; so consider your- 
self appointed, and give me your place. It’s ir- 
regular for an officer to stand a trick at the wheel, 
you know. That is the duty of us foremast hands.” 

Of course this was all strategy on Perk’s part. 
The Club knew it, and so did Chase and Wilson ; 
and that was the reason the former remonstrated. 
After thinking the matter over, however, he decided 
to act in Perk’s place. He told himself that there 
would be no responsibility attached to the office, for 
Walter would never leave the deck while that rough 
weather continued. The young captain regarded 
his yacht as the apple of his eye; and when he was 
willing to allow any one even the smallest share in 
the management of her, it was a sure sign that he 
liked him and had confidence in him. If Chase 
had never before been satisfied that the Club were 
in earnest in all they said, he was now, and so was 
Wilson. 


8% THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


CHAPTER V. 
THE DESERTERS. 


Y the aid of the block and tackle which Eugene 
had rigged over the fore-hatchway, the pro- 
visions were lowered through the galley into the 
hold, where they were stowed away so snugly 
that they would not be thrown about by the pitch- 
ing of the vessel. This done, the hatch that led — 
into the hold was closed and fastened. Perk, remem- 
bering who. had come through there a short time 
before, put down the hatch himself, stamping it into 
its place, and securing the bar with the padlock— 
the fore-hatch was closed and battened down, the 
block and tackle stowed away in their proper place, 
and things began to look ship-shape once more. 

The foremast hands, as Eugene called himself 
and companions, who did not hold office, gathered 
in the standing room to converse; Walter and — 
Chase planked the weather-side of the deck, the 


former linking his arm through that of his lieuten- 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 89 


ant, and talking and laughing with him as though 
they had always been fast friends; a fire was crack- 
ling away merrily in the galley stove; and Perk, 
divested of his coat, his sleeves rolled up tc his 
shoulders, revealing arms as brown and muscular 
as Uncle Dick’s, was superintending the cooking of 
the ‘‘skouse’”’ and ‘‘ dough-boy,”’ and singing at the 
top of his voice, the words of an old but favorite 
‘song of the Clubs: 
“The land of my home is flitting, flitting from my view ; 
The gale in the sail is setting, toils the merry crew.” 
He roared out the following lines with more than 
his usual energy: 
“ Here let my home be, on the waters wide ; 
I heed not your anger, for Maggie’s by my side. 


My own loved Maggie dear, sitting by my side; 


‘Maggie dear, my own love, sitting by my side.” 


Perk knew a Maggie—only her name was Ella— 
t. whom he used to send valentines and invitations 
to barbecues and boat-rides, but she was not sitting 
by his side just then, and consequently we doubt if 
he would have been quite willing to make his home 
there on the waters wide, even though he had the 
yacht for a shelter and the Club for companions. 
The Maggie of whom Perk was thinking was safe 


s 


90 THE SPORTSMAN 'S CLUB AFLOAT. 


at home in Bellville. She knew that her stalwart 
admirer was tossing about somewhere un the Gulf, 
and in spite of her fears for his safety she would 
have laughed could she have seen him at his present 


occupation, 
‘““Mind what you are about, Eugene,” said 


Walter, shaking his finger warningly at his brother. 
‘“‘ Handle hereasy. Perk’s in the galley, and that’s 
a guaranty that there’s something good coming out 
of there. If you go to knocking things about and 
spoiling his arrangements, I'll put you in the brig,” 

‘“‘ Very good, Commodore,” replied Hugene, touch- 
ing his hat with mock civility, and giving his 
trowsers a hitch with one elbow; ‘‘ I want some of 
that hot coffee as much as anybody does, sir, even 
if there is no cream to put in it; and I’ll make her 
ride every wave without a tremble, sir.” 

Although the young sailors had eaten a hearty 
lunch not more than three hours before, they were 
quite ready for dinner, even such a dinner as could 
be served up out of plain ship’s fare. But the 
principal reason why Perk was ordered below as 
soon as the provisions were received, was because 
his services were not then needed on deck, and it 
was a favorable time to build a fire in the galley 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 91 


while the Gulf was comparatively smooth—that is, 
the Club thought it comparatively smooth, although 
a boy unaccustomed to the water would have thought 
that the yacht was going to roll over and sink out 
of sight every minute. But the probabilities -vere 
that in an hour things would be even worse. The 
storm that was coming up so slowly and surely 
promised to be a hard one and a long one; and the 
dinner that Perk was now serving up might be the 
last warm meal they would have for a day or two. 
Perk’s song arose louder and louder, a sure sign 
that the summons to dinner would not be long de- 
layed. The savory smell of cooking viands came 
up from below every time the cabin door was opened, 
and the boys in the standing room snuffed up their 
noses, said ‘‘ Ah!’’ in deep bass voices, and tried to 
get a glimpse of what was going on in the galley. 
The jingling of iron rods was heard in the cabin as 
the table was lowered to its place, then the rattling 
of dishes, and finally three long-drawn whistles, in 
imitation of a boatswain’s pipe, announced that the 
meal was ready. Chase, Wilson and Bab answered 
the call, leaving Walter and his brother to care for 
the yacht. In half an hour they returned to the 
deck looking very much pleased and refreshed, and 


92 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


when Perk gave three more whistles Walter and 
Eugene went below. 

‘¢ Any orders, captain ?”’ asked Chase, who did 
not like the idea of being left in charge of the deck 
even for a minute. 

‘Follow in the wake of the smuggling vessel,” 
replied Walter. ‘‘ That’s all.” 

If the sight that greeted Walter’s eyes as he went 
_ below would have been a pleasing one to a hungry 
boy under ordinary circumstances, it was. doubly so 
to one who had stood for hours in wet clothing, ex- 
posed to the full fury of a cutting north-west wind. 
The cabin was warm and comfortable, the dishes 
clean and white, the viands smoking hot, and 
Walter, Perk and Eugene did ample justice to them. 
When the meal was finished, the two brothers lent 
a hand in clearing away the table and washing the 
dishes ; and after the galley stove had been replen- 
ished, they, in company with Perk, stretched them- 
selves out on the lee-locker and went to sleep. It 
seemed to the young captain that he had scarcely 
closed his eyes when he was aroused by a voice. 
He started up and saw Bab, whose clothes were 
dripping with water, lighting the lamps in the cabin. 
‘Why, it isn’t dark, is it?’ asked Walter. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 93 


“Tt is growing dark. You’ve had a glorious sleep, 
but you had better roll out now and see to things, 
for poor Chase is in a peck of trouble. It’s come.”’ 

** What has ?” 

“Can't you hear it and feel it? Rain and sleet, 
and wind, and such an ugly, chopping sea. It is 
coming harder every minute.”’ 

That was very evident. The howling of the 
storm could be plainly heard in the cabin, and the 
_ pitching and straining of the yacht as she labored 
through the waves, told Walter that it was indeed 
high time he was taking matters into his own hands. 
Hastily arousing his sleeping companions, he went 
into the galley for some of his clothing, which he © 
had left there to dry, and in a few minutes, equipped 
in pea-jacket, gloves, muffler and heavy boots, went 
up to face the storm. It was already dark, and the 
rain, freezing as it fell, was coming down in tor- 
rents. 

“< Where’s the schooner ?”’ asked Walter. 

“T lost sight of her just after I sent Bab down 
to call you,” replied Chase. ‘ My only fear is that 
we shall not be able to find her again.” 

‘‘T have no hopes of it,’’ replied Walter. “ We'll 
take an observation to-morrow if the sun comes 


94 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


out, and hold straight for Havana. Call those fel- 
lows up from the cabin, and after we’ve made every- 
thing secure, go below and turn in for the night. 
There’s a good fire in the galley.” 

The crew were quickly summoned to the deck, 
and in the face of blinding rain and sleet, proceeded 
to carry out the orders which Walter shouted at 
them through his trumpet. In twenty minutes 
more Chase and his drenched companions were en- 
joying the genial warmth of the galley stove, and 
the Banner, relieved of the strain upon her, and 
guided by the hands of her skilful young captain, 
who stood at the wheel, was riding the waves as 
gracefully as a sea-gull. 

At eight o’clock the boys below, warmed and 
dried, and refreshed by the pot of hot coffee which 
the thoughtful Perk had left for them, were sleep- 
ing soundly, while Eugene steered the vessel, and 
Walter and Perk acted as lookouts. But there 
were other wakeful and active ones on board the 
Banner, besides Walter and his two companions— 
some, who, alarmed by the rolling and pitching of 
the little vessel, and knowing that she was manned 
only by boys, were making desperate efforts to 
reach the deck. Had any one been standing in 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 95 


the galley ten minutes after the watch below went 
into the cabin to sleep, his eyes and ears would 
have convinced him of this fact. He would have 
heard a sound like the cutting of wood, and a few 
seconds afterward he would have seen the point of 
an auger come up through the floor of the galley, 
in close proximity to the staple which confined the 
hatch leading into the hold. Presently he would 
have seen the auger disappear and come into view 
_again in another place. Then it would have been 
clear to him that some one in the hold was cutting 
out the staple by boring holes in a circle around it. 
Such a proceeding was in reality going on on board 
the yacht, although the fact was unknown to her 
crew. Walter had come into the cabin every half 
hour during his watch to see that everything was 
safe—looking at the stove, and turning the coats 
and trowsers that hung before it, so that his com- 
panions might have dry clothing to put on when 
they awoke; but he never thought of casting his 
eyes toward the hatch. 

The auger was kept steadily at work, and pre- 
sently the plank into which the staple was driven, 
was cut entirely through, the staple with the circu- 
lar piece of wood attached was pushed up, the hatch 


96 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


slowly and cautiously raised, and a pair of eyes ap- 
peared above the combings and looked through the 
open door into the cabin. They roved from one to 
the other of the sleeping boys, and then the hatch 
was laid carefully back upon the floor of the galley, 
and a man dressed in the uniform of the revenue 
service sprang out. Another and another followed, 
until four of them appeared—all stalwart men, and 
armed with hatchets, chisels and billets of wood. 
They halted a moment to hold a whispered consul- 
tation, and then, with quick and noiseless footsteps, 
passed into the cabin. ‘Two of them stopped be- 
side the locker on which Chase and his unconscious 
companions lay, and the others jerked open the 
door of the cabin and sprang out into the standing 
room. Paying no attention to Eugene, who was 
struck dumb and motionless with astonishment, 
they glanced about the deck, and discovering Wal- 
ter and Perk standing on the forecastle, they rushed 
at them with uplifted weapons. 

“Don’t move, my lad,” said one of the sailors 
seizing Perk by the collar, and flourishing a heavy 
chisel over his head. ‘If you do, I'll send you 
straight to Davy’s locker.” 

“Now, just listen to me a minute, and I'll tell you © 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 97 


what’s a fact, replied Perk. ‘* Don’t trouble your- 
self to send me there or anywhere else. I am not 
likely to make much resistance as long as you keep 
that weapon over me.”’ 

Walter was equally cool and collected. Although 
he was taken completely by surprise by the sudden- 
ness of the attack, he had no difficulty in finding 
an explanation for it. As quick asa flash, some 
words he had heard a few hours before, came back 
to him. He remembered that, when he told the 
captain of the cutter that there were two deserters 
on board the yacht, the latter had remarked to his 
lieutenant: ‘Only two! Then the others must have 
escaped to the shore.” These were the “ others” 
to whom the captain referred. They had not shown 
themselves, or even made their presence known 
during the fight in the galley, and their two com- 
panions, whom Walter had delivered up to the 
revenue commander, had not betrayed them. The 
young captain wished now, when it was too late, 
that he had searched the hold while the cutter was 
alongside. 

“‘Hasy! easy!’ said Walter, when his stalwart 
assailant seized him by the throat, and brandished 
his hatchet before his eyes. 

- : 


98 ’ HE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


“Who commands this craft?’ demanded the 
sailor. 

‘“‘T have the honor,” replied Walter, without the 
least tremor in his voice. ‘‘ Look here, Mr. Reve- 
nue-man,” he added, addressing himself to Perk’s 
antagonist, “‘don’t choke that boy. He has no in- 
tention of resisting you, and neither have lI. We 
know where you came from, and what you intend to 
do.’’ } 

‘Well, you’re a cool hand!” said Walter’s cap- 
tor, releasing his hold of the young captain’s throat, 
and lowering his hatchet. ‘‘ You’re sensible, too. 
Will you give the vessel up to us without any 
fuss ?”’ 

“‘T didn’t say so. I’ve a watch below.” : 

“‘Q, they can’t help you, for they’re captured al- 
ready. ‘There’s a half a dozen of our fellers down 
there guarding ’em. Now, look a here, cap’n: 
there’s no use of wasting words over this thing. 
We’re deserters from the United States revenue ser- 
vice, as you know, and we’re bound to get to Ha- 
vana some way or other.” 

“‘ Well?” said Walter, when the sailor paused. 

‘Well, we want this vessel to take us there.” 

-“T suppose she will have to do it.” 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 99 


‘But there’s one difficulty in the way,’ the 
sailor went on. ‘‘We don’t know what course to 
sail to get there. Do you know anything about 
navigation ?”’ 

“If I didn’t, I don’t think I should be out here 
in command of a yacht,” said Walter, with a smile. 
And if he had added that he could take a vessel 
around the world, he would have told nothing but 
the truth. He and all the rest of the Club had 
studied navigation at the Academy, and under 
Uncle Dick, who drilled them in the use of instru- 
ments, and they were quite accomplished navigators 
for boys of their age. 

“Now, this is just the way the thing stants.” 
continued the sailor. ‘‘ You’re too far from Bell- 
ville to give us up to the cutter, like you did them. 
other fellers, and we ain’t likely to let you turn 
about and go thereeither. We’re going to Havana; 
and if you will take us there without any foolish- 
ness, we ll be the peaceablest fellers you ever saw. 
“We'll obey orders, help manage the yacht, live 
off your grub, and behave ourselves like gentlemen ; 
but if you try to get to windward of us in any way, 
we ll pitch the last one of you overboard. Mebbe 
you don’t know it, but we are going to ship aboard 


100 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


a Cuban privateer. Wecan make more that way 
than we can in Uncle Sam’s service—prize-money, 
you know.”’ 

‘“¢T know all about it,” replied Walter. ‘I heard 
it from your captain. 

“Well, what do you say ?”’ 

“Tsay, that I will agree to your terms, seeing 
that I can’t help myself. If I could, I might give 
you a different answer.” 

“You're sensible. I know you don’t want us 
here, but as we can’t get out and walk to Cuba, I’m 
thinking you will have to put up with our company 
till we find that privateer.” 

“OQ, I didn’t agree to any such arrangement,” 
replied Walter, quickly. “I said I would take 
you to Havana, and so I will; but I am not going 
all around Robin Hood’s barn looking for a Cuban 
privateer, for I should never find her. There’s no 
such thing in existence. Besides, we’ve got busi- 
ness of our own to attend to.” 

““T don’t care about your business,” said the 
sailor, who did not know whether to smile or get 
angry at Walter’s plain speech. ‘You'll go just 
where we tell you to go. Don’t rile us, or you'll 
find us a desperate lot.”’ 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 101 


“*T don’t intend to rile you, and neither am I 
going to be imposed upon any longer than I can 
help.” 

Walter turned on his heel and walked aft, and 
Perk, taking his cue from the captain’s actions, re- 
sumed his duties as lookout, paying no more atten- 
tion tothe two sailors than if they had been some 
of the rope-yarns attached to the rigging. In a few 
hurried words, Walter explained the state of affairs 
to Eugene, whom he found almost bursting with im- 
patience to learn the perticulars of the interview 
on the forecastle, and then looking into the cabin, 
saw Chase and his companions stretched out on the 
lockers, wide awake, but afraid to rise for fear of 
the weapons which the two sailors who were guard- 
ing them held over their heads. Walter had been 
led to believe, by what the sailor said to him, that 
there were at least eight deserters on board the 
yacht. Had he known that there were but half 
that number, he might not have been so ready to 
accede to their leader’s demands. 

“¢ Come up out o’ that, you revenue men, and let 
those boys go to sleep,” said Walter, in a tone of 
command. 


“Belay your jaw,’ was the gruff reply. ‘ We 


102 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


take orders from nobody but Tomlinson. Where is 
he?” 

‘“‘ Here I am,” said the sailor wh» had held the 
conversation with Walter. ‘I’ve the cap’n’s word 
that we shall be landed in Havana, and no attempts 
made to humbug us. My name is Tomlinson,” he 
added, turning to the commander of the yacht. 
“Tf you want anything out of these fellers, just 
speak to me. When does the watch below come on 
deck ?”’ 

‘‘As soon as they’ve had sleep enough. They 
didn’t close their eyes last night.” 

“All right. I say, mates,’’ continued Tomlinson, 
_ addressing his companions in the cabin, ‘just tum- 
ble on to them lockers and go to sleep. You'll be 
in that watch, and me and Bob’ll be in the cap’n’s 
watch ; then there’ll be two of us on deck all the © 
time.” 

Walter, without waiting to hear whether the 
sailor had anything else to say, slammed the door 
of the cabin, and in no amiable frame of mind went 
forward and joined Perk; while Tomlinson, and his 
companion, after taking a look at the binnacle, 
stationed themselves in the waist, where they could 


see all that was going on. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 108 


“Well,” said Walter, “what do you think of 
thi: ?” 

‘TI think that revenue captain must be very 
stupid to allow six men to desert under his very 
nose,” replied Perk. “If I had been in his place, 
I would have known every man who belonged to 
that prize crew; and I could have told whether or 
not they were all present without mustering thein. 
What are you going to do?” 

‘“‘T intend to get rid of them at the earliest pos- 
sible moment. We shall not be able to make Ha- 
vana in this wind, but we'll hit some port on the 
Cuban coast, and we'll try to induce these fellows 
to leave. usthere. I didn’t agree to find a privateer 
for them, and I am not going to do it. That 
revenue cutter has been the cause of more trouble 
to us than she is worth.” 

And the trouble was not yet ended, if Walter had 
only known it. The deserters were not to be got 
rid of as easily as he imagined. 

The storm was fully as violent as the young cap- 
tain expected it would be. It might have been a 
great deal worse, but if it had been, the story of 
the Club’s adventures would not have been as long 
as we intend to make it. Walter had ample oppor- 


104 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


tunity for the display of his seamanship, and if any 
faith is to be put in the word of the deserters, the 
yacht was well handled. These worthies, true to 
to their promise, conducted themselves with the 
utmost propriety. They watched Walter pretty 
closely for the first few hours, but finding that he 
knew what he was doing, and that he had no inten- 
tion of attempting to secure them, they gave them- 
selves no further concern. They obeyed orders as 
promptly as if Walter had been their lawful cap- 
tain, and treated the young yachtsmen with a great 
show of respect. 

One day Tomlinson, in reply to a question from 
Walter, explained their presence on board the yacht. 
He and five companions belonged to the prize crew 
which had taken charge of the Banner after her 
capture by the cutter. While they were guarding 
the prisoners in the cabin, they learned from them 
that the yacht was bound for Lost Island, and that 
she would begin the voyage again as soon as the 
difficulty with the revenue captain was settled. 
Upon hearing this, Tomlinson and his fiends, who 
had long been on the lookout for an opportunity to 
desert the cutter, concealed themselves in the hold, . ; 
hoping to escape discovery until the Banner was: 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 105 


once more outside the harbor of Bellville. They 
made their first attempt to gain the deck at the 
wrong time, as it proved, for Perk was on hand to 
defeat them. They knew that the young sailors 
had seen but two of their number, and when Walter 
opened the hatch and ordered them on deck, two 
of them obeyed, while the others remained behind, 
awaiting another opportunity to make a strike for 
their freedom. They never had any intention of 
taking the vessel out of the hands of her captain. 
All they wanted was to be on deck where they 
could see what was going on, and to have the assur- 
ance that they should be carried to Havana. 

On the morning of the fifth day after leaving 
Bellville Cuba was in plain sight, and at noon the 
Banner, after passing several small islands, entered 
a little harbor about a hundred miles to the east- 
ward of Havana. The Club were in a strange 
place and among a strange people, but the sight of 
the little town nestled among the hills was a pleasant 
one to their eyes. They were heartily tired of 
being tossed about on the Gulf, and long to feel the 
solid ground under their feet once more. ‘Their 
provisions were entirely exhausted, and where the 


next meal was coming from they had not the slightest 


106 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT, 


idea. This, however, did not trouble them so much — 
as the presence of the deserters. They had quite 
enough of their company. It was Walter’s inten- 
tion to remain in the harbor until the wind and sea 
abated, and in the meantime to use every argument 
he could think of to induce the men to go ashore. 
The young captain was utterly discouraged. He had 
seen nothing of the schooner since the first day out, 
and he was not likely to see her again, for he had 
been blown a long way out of his course, and by the 
time he could reach Havana, Fred Craven would be 
shipped off to Mexico, and the schooner would have 
discharged her contraband cargo and be half way 
on her return voyage to Bellville. 

‘ Captain, there’s an officer wants to come aboard,” 
said Tomlinson, breaking in upon his reverie. — 

Walter looked toward the shore and saw a boat 
putting off from the nearest wharf, and a man 
dressed in uniform standing in the stern waving his 
handkerchief. “Who is he?” asked the young 
captain. | . 

‘One of them revenue fellers, I guess. These 
chaps are very particular.” 

“T am glad to hear it, for if we can find that 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 107 


schooner we may be able to induce them to examine 
ie 

The yacht was thrown up into the wind, and in a 
few minutes the officer came on board—a fierce- 
looking Spaniard, with a mustache which covered 
all the lower part of his face, and an air as pompous 
as that of the revenue captain. He touched his 
hat to Walter, and addressed some words to him 
which the latter could not understand. 

“JT hope there’s nothing wrong,” 
mander, anxiously. ‘I may have violated some of 
the rules of the port, for I am like a cat ina strange 
garret here. Tomlinson, can you speak his lingo?” 

‘No, sir. Talk French to the lubber, if you 
can.” 

Walter could and did. The visitor replied in the 
same language, and his business was quickly settled. 
He was a revenue officer, as Tomlinson had sur- 
mised, and wanted to look at the yacht’s papers, 
which were quickly produced; although of what 
use they could be to a man who did not understand 
English, Walter could not determine. The officer 
looked at them a moment, with an air of profound 
wisdom, and then returning them. with the remark 
that they were all right, touched his hat and sprang 


said the com- 


108 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


into his boat. As soon as he was clear of the side 
the yacht filled away again, Walter taking his stand 
upon the rail and looking out for a convenient place 
to moor his vessel; but there were but two small 
wharves in the harbor, and every berth seemed to 
be occupied. As he ran his eye along the brigs, 
barks and schooners, wondering if there were an 
American among them, his gaze suddenly became 
fastened upon a little craft which looked familiar to 
him. He was certain he had seen that black hull 
and those tall, raking masts before. He looked 
again, and in a voice which trembled in spite of all 
his efforts to control it, requested Hugene to hand 
him his glass. 

‘¢ What’s the matter?’ asked the crew in concert, 
crowding up to the rail. ‘What do you see?” 

‘¢He sees the Stella, and so do I!” exclaimed 
Bab, in great excitement. 

“Yes, it is the Stella,” said Walter, so overjoyed 
at this streak of good fortune that he could scarcely 
speak. “Now, we'll see if these Cuban revenue 
officers are as worthless as some of our own. But 
_I say, Perk,” he added, his excitement suddenly in- 
creasing, ‘“‘take this glass and tell me who those. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 109 


three persons are who are walking up the hill, just 
beyond the schooner.”’ 

Perk leveled the glass, but had not held it to his 
eye long before his hand began to tremble, and his 
face assumed an expression much like that it had 
worn during his contest with the deserters, and 
while he was confronting Bayard Bell and his crowd. 
Without saying a word he handed the glass to 
Eugene, and settling his hat firmly on his head 
pushed back his coat sleeves. He acted as if he 
wanted to fight. 

“They are Mr. Bell, the captain of the Stella, 
and—who is that walking between them? Fred 
Craven, as I live!” Eugene almost shouted. 

“* Now, listen to me a ‘minute, and I'll tell you 
what’s a fact,” said Perk, bringing his clenched fist 
down into the palm of his hand. “ That’s just who 
they are.” 

‘Fred sees us, too,” continued Eugene. ‘He 
is looking back at us.” 

“JT didn’t think I could be mistaken,” said 
Walter. ‘‘ Perk, keep your eye on them and see 
where they go. Stand by, fellows. When we 
reach the wharf make everything fast as soon as 
possible; and Eugene, you and Bab see if you can 


110 THE SPORTSMAN S CLUB AFLOAT. 


find that revenue officer. If you do, tell him the 
whole story, and take him on board the schooner. 
~ Perk and I will follow Fred, and Chase and Wilson 
will watch the yacht. . 

In ten minutes more, the Banner’s bow touched 
a brig lying alongside the wharf, and too impatient 
to wait until she was made fast, Walter and Perk 
hurried to the shore and ran up the hill in pursuit 
of Fred Craven. How great would have been their 
astonishment, had they known that they were run- 
ning into a trap that had been prepared for thea 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 111 


CHAPTER VI. 
A CHAPTER OF INCIDENTS. 


S soon as the yacht had been made fast to the 
brig, Eugene and Bab sprang over the rail 

and hurried away in search of the revenue officer, 
leaving Chase and Wilson to put everything to 
rights, and to look out for the vessel. The latter, 
excited and delighted almost beyond measure at the 
prospect of the speedy rescue of Fred Craven, kept 
their eyes fastened upon Walter and Perk, as they 
ran up the hill, and when they disappeared from 
view, reluctantly set to work to furl the sails and 
clear up the deck. The deserters, however, sud- 
denly seemed to have lost all interest in the yacht. 
Instead of assisting the young sailors at their work, 
they gathered in the standing-room and held a 
whispered consultation, ever and anon glancing 
toward the lieutenant, to make sure that he was not 
listening or observing their movements. Chase did 
not appear to notice what was going on, but for all 


112 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT 


that he was wide awake. Feeling the full weight 
of the responsibility that Walter had thrown upon 
him, in leaving him in charge of the yacht, he was 
inclined to be nervous and suspicious of everything. 

‘What are those fellows up to?” he asked of his 
companion, in a whisper. 

“‘What makes you think they are up to any- 
thing ?’’ inquired Wilson. 

“YT judge by their actions. If they are not 
planning some mischief, why do they watch us so 
closely, and talk in so low a tone that we cannot 
hear them? How easy it would be for them to take 
the yacht from us and go to sea again, if they felt 
so inclined! I really believe that is what they are 
talking about.” 

“YT never thought of that,’’ said Wilson, almost 
paralyzed at the simple mention of the thing. 
‘‘ What would Walter say if some such misfortune © 
should befall the Banner, while she is under our 
charge? He would never forgive us. But of 
course, they won’t attempt it, for they don’t under- 
stand navigation.” 

But Wilson was not as well acquainted with the 
dispositions of the men with whom they had to deal 
as Chase was. The latter had made a shrewd guess, 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. Lips 


for the deserters were at that very moment discuss- 
ing a plan for seizing the Banner and making off 
with her. They lived in constant fear of capture— 
they did not know at what instant they might see 


and 





the revenue cutter coming into the harbor 
they could not feel free from danger until they were 
safe on board the privateer of which they were in 
search. They wanted to go to Havana at once, and 
this forced delay was more than they could endure. 
The leader of the deserters was urging an immediate 
departure, but his companions were not quite ready 
to give their consent to his plans. 

“Perhaps we shall now find out what they are 
talking about,” whispered Chase, suddenly, “ for 
here comes Tomlinson. Keep your weather-eye 
open, and be ready for any tricks.”’ 

“T say, lads!’ exclaimed the deserter, approach- 
ing the place where the boys were at work, “‘ what's 
your business here, anyhow ? What brought you 
to Cuba?” 

“ Didn’t the captain tell you?” asked Chase. 

‘“* He didn’t even hint it.”’ 

“Then it isn’t worth while to make inquiries of 
us. Our business concerns no one but ourselves and 


our friends.’ 


8 


ee ty 


114 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘Well, ain’t me and my mates friends of yours? 
Mebbe we can help you.’ 

“Tf the captain had thought so, no doubt e 
would have taken you into his confidence. Wait 
until he returns, and talk to him.” 

‘“¢ Where has he gone ?”’ 

“*T don’t know.” 

‘¢ When will he be back ?” 

“‘T haven’t the slightest idea.”’ 

“How long before he is going to sail for Ha- 
vana ?”” 

“T don’t know that either. He’ll not start until 
this wind goes down and he gets some provisions— 
perhaps not even then. His business may keep 
him here a week.” | 

Tomlinson turned on his heel, and walking aft, 
joined his companions. ‘It must be done, mates,” 
said he ina whisper. ‘The lads are as dumb as 
tar-buckets, and all I could find out was that the 
yacht may stay here several days. During that 
time, the privateer may make up her crew and go 
to sea, and we shall be left out in the cold. We 
ought to be in Havana now.” 

‘But I am ’most afraid to trust you in command, 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 115 


Tom,” said one of the deserters. ‘The captain 
says it is a good hundred miles to Havana.” 

‘‘No matter if it is a thousand; I can find it. 
All we have to do is to sail along the coast. We'll 
know the city when we see it, won’t we?” 

‘“‘ But we need some grub, and how are we going 
to get it?” 

‘¢ As soon as it grows dark we'll land and steal 
some—that’s the way we'll get it. What do you 
say now? I am going to Havana in this yacht: 
who’s going with me?” 

This question settled the matter at once. All 
the deserters were anxious to find the privateer, 
and since Tomlinson, who was the ruling spirit of 
the band, was determined to start in search of her, 
the others, rather’ than be left behind, decided to 
accompany him, and run all the risks of shipwreck. 

The immediate seizure of the yacht having been 
resolved upon, the next question to be settled was. 
What should be done with the boys? After a few 
minutes’ conversation on this point, Tomlinson and 
two of his companions went forward to assist Chase 
and Wilson, while the fourth walked to the stern, 
and leaning his folded arms upon the rail, gazed 
listlessly into the water. ‘Tomlinson and his two 


116 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


friends lent effective aid, and the deck of the Ban- 
ner soon began to present its usual scene of neat- 
ness and order. The former kept up a running 
fire of jokes and stories, in the midst of which he 
suddenly paused, and stood fiercely regarding his 
companion in the standing room. 

‘“‘ Bob,” said he, in a tone of command, ‘‘I never 
knew before that you were a soger. Look around 
and find something to do.” 

‘“¢ Where shall I go?’ asked Bob, gruffly. 

“‘ Anywhere, so long as you don’t stand there 
skulking. Go into the cabin, and put it in order 
against the captain comes back.”’ 

Bob slowly straightened up and sauntered down 
the companion-ladder, but almost immediately re- 
appeared. “The cabin’s all right,’’ he growled. 
‘* Kverything’s in order.” 

‘“‘Then go into the galley, or into the hold, and 
see if things are all right there,’’ returned Tomlin- 
son, angrily. ‘I know you can find something to 
do somewhere about the yacht.”’ 

Bob disappeared in the cabin again, and presently 
Chase heard him tumbling things about in the hold. 
In a few minutes he once more thrust his head out 
of the companion-way. 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 117 


‘Well, what’s the row now?” asked Tomlinson. 
‘Find anything to do down there ?”’ 

“Plenty of it,” was the reply. ‘Lieutenant, 
will you step down here a moment ?” 

Chase, believing from Bob’s tone and manner, 
that he had found something very much out of the 
way in the hold, started toward the companion-way ; 
but just before he reached it, a thought struck him, 
and he stopped and looked. earnestly at the man. 
‘¢ What’s the matter down there ?”’ he asked. 

“‘One of the water-butts has sprung a leak, sir,” 
said the sailor. 

“That's a dreadful calamity, isn’t it? Don’t 
you know what to do in such a case? Bail the 
water out of the leaky butt into one of the others.” 

‘“¢ But there’s none to bail out, sir. Every drop 
has leaked out, and the water is ankle deep all over 
the hold.”’ 

‘‘ Wilson,” said Chase, turning to his companion, 
“just give a stroke or two ‘on that pump, will 
you Ho 

Wilson did as he was requested, but not a drop 
of water was brought up. The Banner’s hold was 
as dry as a piece of hard-tack. 


“How are you, leaky water-butt!”’ exclaimed 


118 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


Chase, with a significant glance at Wilson, “ Any- 
thing else wrong below, Bob ?”’ 

The sailor, somewhat disconcerted, did not know 
what to say at first, but after a look at Tomlinson, 
he replied : 

“Yes, sir. Everything is pitched out of place, 
and I shall need some one to help me put ’em to 
rights. I can’t lift those heavy tool-chests by my- 
self.” 

“Look here, Bob,”’ said Chase, suddenly ; “‘you’re 
nota good hand at this business. You can’t tell a 
falsehood and keep a straight face.” 

‘¢ Falsehood, sir!’ exclaimed the sailor, ascend- 
ing a step or two nearer the top of the companion- 
ladder, as if he had half a mind to come on deck 
and resent the word. ‘Do you say I lie?” 

“Well, no; I didn’t say so,” replied Chase, not 
in the least intimidated by the man’s threatening 
glances; ‘I can generally express myself without 
being sorude. But that is just what I mean. You 
know the hold is in order, and so do I; for I was 
down there not five minutes before we landed. I 
am too old to be taken in by any such flimsy trick 
as this. You'll have to study up a better one if 
you expect to deceive me.” 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 119 


So saying, Chase walked back to the forecastle 
and resumed his work, while Bob, not knowing what 
reply to make, went down into the cabin. The 
lieutenant kept his eye upon Tomlinson and his two 
friends, and saw that, when they thought themselves 
unobserved, they exchanged glances indicative of 
rage and disappointment. One by one they walked 
aft to the standing room, and in a few minutes more 
were holding another council of war. : 

‘Chase, you're a sharp one,” said Wilson, ap- 
provingly. ‘If I had been in your place I should 
have been nicely fooled. What do you suppose they 
want to do?” 

«They intend to capture us and run off with the 
yacht ; that’s their game. They are afraid to lay 
hands on us as long as we remain on deck, but if 
they could get us into the cabin out of sight, they 
would make prisoners of us in a hurry. O, there’s 
nothing to be afraid of,” added Chase, noticing the 
expression of anxiety that settled on his compan- | 
ion’s face. ‘If they attack us we'll summon help 
from this brig.”’ 

The deserters were much astonished as well as 
disheartened by the failure of their clumsy attempt 
to entice the lieutenant into the hold. They saw 


120 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


that he suspected them and was on the alert. They 
were none the less determined, however, to possess 
themselves of the yacht, and when they gathered in 
the standing room ‘Tomlinson, who was fruitful in 
expedients, had another plan to propose. While 
they were discussing it a sailor, who had for some 
time been leaning over the brig’s rail, watching all 
that was going on on board the Banner, swung him- 
self off by his hands and dropped upon her deck. 
Chase and Wilson saw him, but supposing that he 
was one of the crew of the brig, whose curiosity 
had prompted him to visit the yacht, they said 
nothing to him. 

The stranger, finding that no one paid any atten- 
tion to his movements, set himself at work to ex- 
_ amine the yacht very closely, especially as much of 
her internal arrangements as he could see through 
her hatchways. He spent ten minutes in this way, 
and then sauntered toward the standingroom. The 
sound of his footsteps attracted the attention of 
Tomlinson, who looked up and greeted him with: 

“Hallo, mate! Do you happen to have a pipeful 
of tobacco about you?” | 

The sailor produced a good-sized plug from his 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. ws: 


pocket and asked, as he handed it to Tomlinson: 
“ What craft is this ?”’ 

“She’sa private yacht—the Banner—and belongs 
in Bellville, Louisiana,” was the answer. ‘Me and 
my mates here are the crew. We are hired by the 
year, and all we have to do is to take a half a dozen 
young gentlemen wherever they want to go.” 

*‘ You have papers, of course ?” 

“Ves. The captain keeps them in that desk in 
the cabin.” 

The stranger directed his gaze down the compan- 
ion-way, and after taking a good look at the little 
writing-desk Tomlinson pointed out to him, asked, 
as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the 
two boys on the forecastle : 

‘“‘Who are those fellows? I think I have seen 
them somewhere.” 

“Their names are Chase and Wilson, and they 
are a couple of green hands who came out with us. 
The cap’n and steward have gone ashore to get 
some grub. We've been knocked about on the 
Gulf for the last five days, and we've made way 
with the last mouthful of salt horse and hard tack. 


Tea We haven’t had any breakfast yet.”’ 


“ You haven’t!’’ exclaimed the sailor. ‘*‘ Then 


122 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


come with me. I am mate of the schooner Stella, 
which lies a little way below here. I'll give youa 
good breakfast and a pipe to smoke after it.” 

Tomlinson and his friends were much too hungry 
to decline an invitation of this kind. Without 
saying a word they followed the mate on board the 
brig, thence to the wharf, and in a few minutes 
found themselves on board the Stella. After con- 
ducting them into the forecastle, their guide made 
his way across the deck and down the companion- 
ladder into the cabin, where he found Mr. Bell 
pacing to and fro. 

“Well,” said the latter, pausing in his walk, 
“waste no time in words now. Have you suc- 
ceeded ?” 


“Not yet, sir, 


99 


replied the mate. ‘I found 
more men there than I expected to find—four sail- 
ors, who say they are the hired crew of the yacht, 
but I know they are deserters from Uncle Sam’s 
revenue service. How they came on board the 
Banner, I did not stop to inquire. They told me 
they had eaten no breakfast, and I brought them up 
here. We can easily keep them out of the way 
until the work is done.” | 

“ Very good,” said Mr. Bell. “Tell the steward 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 1S 


to serve them up a good meal at once. Was there 
anybody else on board the yacht ?” 

“Yes, sir; Chase and Wilson were there, and I 
am now going back to attend tothem. The vessel’s 
papers are kept in a writing-desk in the cabin, and 
I shall have no trouble in securing them.”’ 

The mate left the cabin, and after repeating Mr. 
Bell’s order to the steward, sprang over the rail, 
and hurried along the wharf toward the place where 
the Banner lay. When he arrived within sight of 
her, he was surprised to see that Chase and Wilson 
were making preparations to get under way. The 
jib was already shaking in the wind, and the fore- 
sail was slowly crawling up the mast. Chase was 
determined that the deserters should not return on 
board the yacht if he could prevent it. He would 
_ anchor the vessel at a safe distance from the shore, 
with the sails hoisted, and if Tomlinson and his 
friends attempted to reach her by the aid of a boat 
he would slip the cable and run away from them. 

“Tt seems that I am just in time,” soliloquized 
the mate of the Stella. ‘A few minutes’ delay 
would have spoiled everything. Tony,” he added 
in Spanish, turning to a negro who stood close by, 


and who seemed to be awaiting his orders, “‘ here’s 


124 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


the note and here’s the money. Be in a hurry 
now, and mind what you are about.”’ 

The negro took the articles the mate handed him, 
and after putting the money into his pocket, and 
stowing the letter away in the crown of his hat, he 
sprang on board the brig and made his way toward 
the yacht; while the mate concealed himself behind 
some sugar hogsheads that stood on the wharf to 
vbserve his movements. He saw the negro drop 
down upon the deck of the Banner and present the 
note to Chase, and he noticed too the excitement 
it produced upon the two boys. 


The note the lieutenant received was as follows: 


“‘ Friend CHASE: 

We have come up with Featherweight at last. 
He is still in the hands of the smugglers, but with 
a little assistance, we can easily rescue him. Come 
immediately, and bring all the boys with you. 

T’iis darkey will act as your guide. 

In great haste, 

WALTER.” 


“'That’s business,,’’ cried Chase, thrusting the 
note into his pocket, and bustling about in such a 
state of excitement that he scarcely knew what to 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 125 


do first. ‘‘ We’llsee fun now. Close those hatches, 
and we'll be off. I only hope I shall get a chance 
to do something for Fred Craven. I want to show 
him that I don’t forget favors.”’ 

‘*Must we leave the Banner to take care of her- 
self?’’ asked Wilson. 

“What else can we do? We can’t very well put 
her into our pockets and take her with us.” 

‘But what if something should happen to her? 
Suppose the deserters should return and run off 
with her ?” 

‘“¢That’s Walter’s lookout, and not ours,” replied 
Chase, locking the door of the cabin, and putting 
the key into his pocket. “I wonder if this fellow 
can tell us where the captain is, and what he is 
doing? Can you speak English?” he added, ad- 
dressing the negro. 

The man stared at him, but made no answer. 

‘¢Can you talk French ?’’ continued Chase, speak- 
ing in that language. 

The negro grinned, but said nothing. 

“Well, we can’t talk Spanish, so we must wait 
unuil we see Walter, before we can find out what 
has been going on,’’ said Wilson. ‘‘ But it seems 
strange that he should ask us to come to him and 


126 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


leave the vessel with no one to watch her, doesn’t 

“Under ordinary circumstances it would,” an- 
swered Chase, springing upon the deck of the brig, 
and hurrying toward the wharf. ‘But Walter is 
working for Fred Craven, you know, and he 
would rather lose a dozen yachts, if he had them, 
than to allow a hair of his head to be harmed.” 

When the boys reached the wharf they put them- 
selves under the guidance of the negro, who led 
them through an arched gateway to the street, 
where stood a heavy cotton wagon, to which was 
attached a team of four mules. At a sign from 
the negro, the young sailors sprang into the vehicle, 
and the man mounting one of the mules, set up a 
shout, the team broke into a gallop, and the boys 
were whirled rapidly down the street. 

When the wagon had disappeared, the mate of 
the Stella arose from his place of concealment be- 
hind the sugar hogsheads, and with a smile of satis- 
faction on his face walked rapidly toward his vessel. 
He spent a few minutes in the cabin with Mr. Bell, 
and when he came on deck, ordered the yawl to be 
manned. While this command was being obeyed 
by a part of the schooner’s company, the others 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 127 


busied themselves in bringing boxes and bales up 
from the cabin; and when the yawl was hauled 
alongside; these articles were handed down to her © 
crew, who stowed them away under the thwarts. 
This done, the mate took his seat at the helm, the 
crew gave way on the oars, and presently the yawl 
was lying alongside Walter Gaylord’s yacht. The 
mate at once boarded her; the fore-hatch, which 
Chase and Wilson, in their haste to obey the order 
contained in Walter’s note, had neglected to fasten, 
was opened, and the officer and two of his men 
jumped down into the galley, whence they made 
their way into the hold. The boxes and bales were 
then passed up out of the yawl and through the 
hatches, one by one, and stowed away behind the 
water-butts. This much being accomplished, the 
mate came up out of the hold, and leaving his men 
to close the hatch, went into the cabin and opened® 
the desk which Tomlinson had pointed out to him. 
Almost the first thing hig eyes rested upon was an 
official envelope, addressed to ‘‘ Captain Walter 
Gaylord, Commanding the Yacht Banner.” Thrust- 
ing it hastily into his pocket, he ascended to the 
deck, and in a few seconds more the yawl was on 
her way down the harbor. Arriving alongside the 


128 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


Stella, the mate once more sought an interview 
with Mr. Bell, and handed him the envelope he 
had taken from Walter’s desk. The gentleman 
glanced quickly over the document it contained, 
and then tearing it into fragments, walked to one 
of the stern windows and threw the pieces into the 
water. 

‘There !’’ said he, in a tone of exultation. “The 
next time Captain Gaylord is asked to produce his 
clearance papers, I think he will have some trouble 
in finding them. Before he is done with us he will 
wish he had stayed at home where he belongs.” 





cone ne a ee 4 _ 
Se oe eee eet ei 3 
ee eee =. 





THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 129 


CHAPTER VII. 
DON CASPER. 


N ANY were the speculations in which Chase and 

Wilson indulged, as they were whirled along 
over the rough road, and bumped about from one 
side to the other of the cotton wagon. What sort 
of a situation was Featherweight in? Where had 
Walter and Perk found the wagon; and how had 
they made the negro understand the service re- 
quired of him, seeing that the man could speak 
neither English nor French, and the captain and 
his companion could not talk Spanish? These, and 
a multitude of questions of like character, occupied 
the minds of the boy-tars for the next half hour, 
and during that time, they left the village more 
than five miles behind them; but still they were 
whirled along without the least diminution of speed, 
the negro swinging his whip and yelling with all the 
power of his lungs, and the heavy wagon rolling 
and plunging in a way that reminded the young 

9 


130 THE SPORTSMAN'S CLUB AFLOAT. 


sailors of the antics the Banner had performed 
during her voyage across the Gulf. 

‘‘There’s one thing about it’—shouted Wilson, 
holding fast to the side of the vehicle, and speaking 
in a very loud tone of voice, in order to make him- 
self heard—‘‘if Walter told this darkey to drive 
fast, he is obeying orders most faithfully. Where 
do you suppose he is taking us? And tell me, if 
you can, how Walter and Perk could have got so 
far out into the country, during the hourand a half. 
they have been gone from the vessel ?”’ 

“That is the very question that was passing 
through my own mind,” said Chase. ‘To tell the 
truth, there’s something about this business that 
doesn’t look exactly right.” 

‘Well, you needn’t mind knocking my brains 
out, if it doesn’t look exactly right,”’ roared Wilson, 

eas a sudden lurch of the wagon brought his friend’s 
head in violent contact with his own. ‘ Keep on 
your side if you can, Chase.” 

The loud rumbling of the wheels, and the rock- 
ing and swaying of the clumsy vehicle as it flew 
over the uneven road, proved an effectual check to 
conversation. The boys clung to opposite sides of © 
the wagon, noting the different objects of interest 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 131 


as they sped along, and wondering what was to be 
the end of this adventure. Every mile of the way, 
they saw something to remind them that Cuba was 
in a state of insurrection. Groups of excited men 
were gathered in front of every plantation house 
they passed, and now and then they met squads of 
government patrols riding leisurely along the road. 
The officers of these squads all looked suspiciously 
at the boys, as they dashed by, and one, in particu- 
lar, bent such savage glances upon them, that they 
were glad when he had passed out of sight. 

“‘T say, Wilson,’ shouted Chase, suddenly, 
‘‘do you know that the expression on that oflicer’s 
face, has set me to thinking?” 

““T don’t doubt it,” yelled Wilson, in reply. ‘ It 
set me to thinking, too. Wouldn’t it have been a 
joke on us, if he had taken us for spies or some- 
thing, and arrested us ?” 

‘‘ T confess, I can’t see where the joke would come 
in. How could we ever get out of a scrape of that 
kind? We are in a strange country, among people 
who speak a language different from ours, and we 
haven’t- a friend within seven or eight hundred 
miles. It would be a serious matter for us, the 
first thing you know. Iam glad that fierce-looking 


’ A 
13 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


fellow is out of sight, and I hope we shall not meet 
another like him.” 

If the boys had known what the officers did in 
less than five minutes after they met him, they 
might not have felt so very much relieved after all. 
He rode straight ahead, until a bend in the road 
concealed him from view, and then suddenly halt- 
ing his squad, addressed a few words to two of his 
men, who wheeled their horses and galloped back in 
pursuit of the young sailors. They rode just fast 
enough to keep the wagon in sight, and when they — 
saw it draw up at the door of a plantation house, 
they faced about again and hurried back to their 
companions. They must have had some exciting 
report to make, for when their officer heard it, he 
ordered his men into their saddles, and led them 
down the road at a rapid gallop. 

When the negro driver reined his mules through 
a wide gateway, and drew up in front of the door 
of the house of which we have spoken, the boys 
knew that their ride was ended. They were glad 
of it, for it was anything but pleasant to be jolted 
and bumped. about over such roads as those they 
had just traversed. ‘They jumped out when the 
wagon stopped, and after stretching their arms and 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 133 


legs, and knocking the dust out of their hats, lodked 
about them with interest. They saw before them a 
large and comfortable plantation house, situated in 
a little grove of oleanders and orange trees, flanked 
by neat negro quarters, and surrounded by exten- 
sive sugar-fields, which stretched away on every 
side. They looked around for Walter and Perk, 
but could sce nothing of them. They were not al- 
lowed much time for making observations, however, 
for the moment the wagon stopped, a portly foreign- 
looking gentleman, whom the boys at once put 
down as the proprietor of the plantation, made his 
appearance at the door. He looked curiously at 
his visitors, and while the latter were wondering 
what they ought to say to him, the negro driver 
mounted the steps, and taking a letter from the 
crown of his hat, handed it to his master. The 
reading of the document had an astonishing effect 
upon the man He opened his eyes to their widest 
extent, and muttering something in Spanish, hurried 
down the steps, and seized each of the boys by the 
hand. ai 
‘‘Come in! come in!” said he, hurriedly, and in 
tolerable English. “I am delighted to see you, 
but I am surprised that Captain Conway should 


184 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


have sent you out here in the day time. Come in, 
before the patrols see you.” 

Chase and Wilson looked inquiringly at one 
another. ‘Captain Conway !’’ whispered the lat- 
ter, as he and his companion followed the gentle- 
man up the steps. ‘If he had any hand in sending 
us here, we are in a scrape, as sure as were a fvot 
high.” 

‘“¢T would give something to know what is in that 
letter,” said Chase. ‘Where are Walter and 
Perk ?” 

‘“‘ Haven’t the slightest idea; but I know that 
we shall not find them here. The chances are ten 
to one that we shall never see them again. If there 
were not so many negroes standing around, I would 
take to my heels in short order.”’ 

Chase was bewildered and perplexed beyond mea- 
sure. The simple mention of the name of the cap- 
tain of the Stella, had aroused a thousand fears in 
his mind; and imagining that all sorts of dreadful 
things were about to happen to him, he was ‘more 
than half inclined to spring off the steps and make 
a desperate dash for his freedom, in spite of the 
presence of the negroes; but while he was thinking 
about it, the foreign-looking gentleman conducted 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 135 


him and his companion through the hall and into a 
room, the door of which he was careful to close and 
lock behind him. The two boys watched his move- 
ments with a good deal of anxiety, and while Wil- 
son glanced toward the open window, Chase stepped 
forward and confronted the man. 

‘‘T am afraid,” said he, ‘‘ that there is some mis. 
take here, Mr. Mr. if 

‘Don Casper Nevis,” said the gentleman, sup- 








plying thename. ‘‘ There is no mistake whatever.” 

‘But where is the captain?” continued Chase; 
*‘ we expected to find him here.”’ 

“QO, he’ll not come until dark; and he ought 
not to have sent you out here in broad daylight, 
when he knows that every mile of the road is 
guarded. Where is the schooner ?” 

“ We left her at the wharf.”’ 

‘“‘She ought to be up here. These Spanish offi- 
cers are getting to be very strict lately, and it is a 
wonder they didn’t search her the moment she 
landed. J understand that both you and your ves- 
sel are known and suspected. You must be very 
cautious. Your safest plan would be to go back to 
town, and have the schooner brought into the bay 


136 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


at the rear of my plantation. I have boats there, | 
aud everything in readiness.”’ 

‘‘ But, Don,” replied Chase, ‘“‘I don’t see the 
recessity for so much secrecy.”’ 

‘““My young friend, you don’t understand the 
matter at all,”’ said Don Casper witha smile. ‘“ But 
you are weary with travel, and we will say no more 
about it, until you have refreshed yourselves. We 
shall have ample time to make all the arrangements 
after you have drank acup of chocolate and eaten 
a piece of toast.” 

As the Don said this, he unlocked the door and 
went out, leaving the boys to themselves. 

** Didn’t I tell you that this thing didn’t look just 
right ?’? demanded Chase, in an excited whisper. 
“That darkey has made a mistake, and Lrought us 
to the wrong house.”’ 

‘“ But how in the name of sense could he do that ?” 
asked Wilson, utterly confounded. ‘‘ He must have 
known where Walter was when he gaye him that 
note. By the way, let me look at it a moment.” 

Chase handed out the letter, and was more amazed 
and alarmed than ever by the expression that settled 
on his friend’s face as he ran his eye over the mis- 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 137 


sive. ‘‘ What’s the matter now?” he asked. 
*¢ Anything else wrong ?” 

‘“‘ Nothing much,”’ was the answer ; ‘only that’s 
not Walter Gaylord’s writing—that’s all.” 

“Kh!” exclaimed Chase, jumping from his chair. 

*Q, it is the truth, as you will find out when you 
meet Walter again. I can tell his writing as far as 
I can see it.” 

‘Then who wrote this letter ?”’ 

“T wish I knew. Somebody has humbugged us 
very nicely, and I believe that Captain Conway and 
Mr. Bell are at the bottom of it.” 

‘“‘ Let’s jump out of this window and make the 


9) 


best of our way back to town,’’ exclaimed Chase, 
almost beside himself with excitement and terror. 
‘There's no knowing what this old Creole intends 
tc do to us.”’ 

“And there’s no knowing what may happen to 
the Banner in our absence. What if those deserters 
should run off with her? Here we are in Cuba, 
without a cent in our pockets, and if we should lose 
the yacht how would we ever get home ?” 

“Gracious !’’ exclaimed Chase. 

“Tl jump out of the window and run if you 


will,’ continued Wilson. 


138 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT 


With a common impulse the two boys arose from 
their seats and moved across the floor on tiptoe; but 
just as Chase placed his hands on the window-sill 
preparatory to springing out, the door suddenly 
opened, and three negroes came in—one bringing a 
small table, and each of the others carrying a tray 
filled with dishes and eatables on his head. So 
sudden was their entrance that the boys did not 
have time to retreat to their chairs, and Chase re- 
mained standing with his hands on the window-sill, 
gazing steadily out into the sugar-field as if he saw 
something there that interested him very much, 
while Wilson, with his hands clasped behind his 
back, and his head turned op one side, appeared to 
be lost in admiration of a picture that hung on the 
wall. 

The boys stood in these positions until they were 
aroused by a tap on the shoulder. They turned to 
find themselves alone with one of the negroes, and 
to see the table spread in front of a window, and 
loaded with a most tempting display of viands. 
They did not wait for a second invitation. They 
had taken no breakfast ; there was no knowing when 
and where they would obtain another meal; and 


there was no reason why they should go hungry 


The Champaign 


Social Scisa:: ciyb 
THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 139 

even if they were in trouble. No one, to have seen 

them at the table, would have imagined that they 

were under any apprehensions of danger, for the 

way the eggs and toast disappeared was wonderful ; 

but in the midst of their enjoyment, and before their 

appetites were half appeased, the door was suddenly 

thrown open and Don Casper entered pale and 

breathless. 

‘‘The patrol!’ he almost gasped. ‘It is just 
as I feared it would be. You have been seen and 
followed, and if you are found here, I am ruined. 
No time is to be lost. Come with me immediately.” 

The man spoke so hurriedly and brokenly that 
the boys could not understand all he said, and con- 
sequently they were at a loss to determine what the 
danger was that threatened them. But the expres- 
sion on the face of their host warned them that 
there was something amiss ; and without stopping to 
ask questions, they caught up their hats and followed 
him from the room. As they were hurrying along 
the hall, they glanced toward the gate and, through 
a dense cloud of dust, raised by a multitude of 
horses’ hoofs, they caught a partial glimpse of a 
squadron of troopers who were galloping into the 
_ yard. And these were not the only soldiers upon 


140 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


the premises, as they found when they reached the 
door which opened upon the back verandah. There 
was another squad of cavalrymen approaching 
along the lane that led to the negro quarters. The’ 
house was surrounded. 

“Gracias & Dios!” ejaculated the Don, turning 
ghastly pale. | 

‘‘ What’s the matter ?’’ asked Wilson, innocently. 
“We have done nothing wrong, and we are not 
afraid of the patrols.” | 

“Nothing wrong!’ the Don almost shrieked. 
‘Is it nothing to smuggle cases of arms into a 
country in a state of rebellion ?” 

‘Cases of arms!’ repeated Chase. 

“ Smuggle!’”’ echoed Wilson. ‘We know a 


9? 





smuggler, but we never 


9? 


“Don’t stop to talk,’’ interrupted the Don, al- 
most fiercely ; and as he spoke he seized the boys 
by their arms, and dragged them along the hall and 
down a flight of rickety steps that led into the cel- 
lar. Chase and Wilson, more perplexed than ever, 
tried to gain his ear for a moment, but he seemed 
all of a sudden to have been struck both deaf and 
dumb, for he would say nothing or listen to nothing, 


but hurried them along through utter darkness, and 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 141 


finally, after giving them both a strong push, re- 
leased his hold of them. A moment afterward the 
boys heard a door softly closed behind them, and a 
key turned in a lock. Filled with consternation, 
they stood for a few seconds speechless and motion- 
Jess, listening intently, and afraid to move for fear 
of coming in contact with something in the dark- 
ness. Chase was the first to break the silence. 

‘“‘ Well, this beats all the scrapes I ever got into,” 
said he. ‘‘ Do you begin to see through it yet?” 

“T believe I do,” replied Wilson. ‘The last 
words that old Creole uttered, explain the matter 
clearly. He takes us for smugglers, and imagines 
that we have come here with a cargo of small-arms.”’ 

‘¢ How did he get that impression ?’’ asked Chase, 
who wanted to see how far his friend’s opinions 
coincided with his own. 

“‘ Through the note that negro gave him.”’ 

“¢ Who wrote that note ?”’ 

‘Mr. Bell. He saw us come into the harbor, 
and he would have been dull indeed if he could not 
guess what brought us there. He and his crew 
have set themselves at work to outwit us, as they 
outwitted the revenue captain in the Cove.” 

‘And they have accomplished their object, and 


142 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


got us into a pretty mess besides. They are al- 
together too smart for us. What's that ?”’ 

The tramping of feet, the rattling of sabres, and 
the jingling of spurs sounded from the rooms over- 
head, telling them that the soldiers had arrived ind 
were searching the house. Backward and forward 
passed the heavy footsteps, and presently they were 
heard upon the cellar stairs. The boys listened 
with curiosity rather than fear, and by the sounds 
which came to them from the cellar could tell pretty 
nearly what the soldiers were doing. They heard 
them talking to one another, and overturning boxes 
and barrels, and they knew too when the search 
was abandoned, and the soldiers returned to the 
room above. 

The young tars did not breathe any easier after 
they were gone, for they were not in the least fright- 
ened by the proximity of the Spanish troopers. 
They were not smugglers, and they could prove the 
fact to anybody’s satisfaction. They almost wished 
they had not permitted the Don to conceal them, for 
that of itself looked like a confession of guilt, and 
might be used as evidence against them in case they 
were captured. ‘The papers, which were safely 
stowed away in Walter’s desk in the cabin of the 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 143 


Banner, would show who they were and where they 
came from, and a few minutes’ examination of the 
yacht would prove that there were no small-arms oa 
board of her. The boys thought of all these things, 
and waited impatiently for the Don to come and re- 
lease them. ‘They wanted to explain matters to 
him, if they could by any possibility induce him 
to listen. 

For fully half an hour the troopers continued to 
search the house, and at the end of that time, 
having satisfied themselves that the boys were be- 
yond their reach, they mounted their horses and 
galloped out of the yard. The young sailors now 
‘became more impatient than ever for the Don to 
make his appearance, but they waited in vain. 
They held their breath and listened, but sould not 
hear a single footstep. The house was as silent as 
if it had been deserted. As the hours dragged 
slowly by without bringing any one to their relief, 
the boys became harassed by a new fear, and that 
was that the master of the plantation did not intend 
to release them—that he was keeping them locked 
up for some purpose of his own. Filled with dis- 
may at the thought, they arose from the boxes on 
which they had seated themselves, and began mov- 


144 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


) ing cautiously about their prison with extended 
arms. A few minutes’ examination of the apart- 
ment showed them that it was a wine-cellar, for 
there were shelves on three sides of it, which were 
filled with bottles. On the fourth side was the 
door, and that was the only opening in the walls. 
There was no window to be found, nor even a cre- 
vice large enough to admit a ray of light. There 
was no way of escape. Wilson, determined to make 
the best of the matter, kept up a tolerably brave 
heart, but Chase, as was usual with him when in 
trouble, became despondent. 

“We're here,” said he, in a gloomy voice, “and 
here we may remain for the term of our natural 
lives, for all we know. If Mr. Bell wrote that 
note which we thought came from Walter, I know 
what object he had in view. This Don Casper is 
a friend of his, and now that he has got us in his 
power, he is going to hold fast to us.” 

“He won't if he gives us the least chance for 
our liberty,” said Wilson, striving to keep up his 
friend’s courage. ‘“ But things may not be as bad 
as you think.” | 

“They are bad enough, are they not? To be 
thrown as we were, under the most suspicious cir- 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 145 


cumstances, into the hands of a man we never saw 
before, who, without condescending to give us an 
intelligible explanation of the motive that prompts 
his actions, shuts us up in a dark cellar, and walks 
off with the key in his pocket, to be gone nobody 
knows how long—that is bad enough, but there 
may be worse things yet to come. Do you know 
that we are in a country in which a terrible war is 
being carried on?” 

1 do.” 

“¢ And that both sides are treating their prisoners 
with the greatest cruelty; in some cases shooting 
them?” 

‘Certainly. Having read the papers, I am not 
likely to be ignorant of the fact.” 

“‘ Well, now, did it ever strike you that we— 
Eh? You know,” said Chase, unable to give utter- 
ance to the fears that just then passed through his 
mind. 

‘“* No,” replied Wilson; ‘it never did.” 

“Tt has struck me that some such thing might 
happen to us,” continued Chase, in a trembling 
voice. ‘This Creole is a rebel, and thinks we are 
friends of his. The Spaniards think so too, for 
they have searched the house with the intention of 

10 


146 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


capturing us. If we had fallen into their hands, 
might they not have put an end to us without giv- 
Ing us an opportunity to say a word in our defence, 
believing as they do that we are friends of the Cu- 
bans ?” : 

“Tt is possible,” replied Wilson, coolly. 

“Gracious! If I had thought of all these things, 
I never would have had anything to do with this 
expedition, I tell you. How would I look, set up 
against a brick wall, with half a dozen Spaniards 
standing in front of me, ready to shoot me down at 
the word? I wish I had stayed on Lost Island 
and starved there.’”’ And Chase, terrified almost 
beyond measure by the picture he had drawn, 
jumped to his feet, hurried off through the dark- 
ness, and bumped his head severely against the 
solid oak planks which formed the door of their 
prison. , 

‘You are not set up against a brick wall yet, at 
all events,’’ said Wilson, laughing, in spite of him- 
self. ‘* Don’t take on so, old fellow, or I shall believe — 
you are in a fair way to become a coward. Here’s 
a dry-goods box. Let’s lie down on it and try to 
get a wink of sleep.” 

“Sleep !’’ groaned Chase, holding one hand to 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 147 


his head, and with the other feeling his way through 
the darkness, in the direction from which his com- 
panion’s voice sounded; “how can you think of 
such a thing? Don’t lie there so still. Wake up 
and talk to me.” 

It was not possible that Chase could ever become 
a greater coward than he was at that moment, 
and he told himself so. The thought that he 
was in a strange country, surrounded by men who 
were in arms against one another, and that some 
of them—perhaps the very ones who had per- 
petrated the cruelties of which he had read in the 
papers—had been in that very house searching 
for him, was dreadful. It tested his fortitude to thé 
very utmost. Even the darkness which filled the 
wine-cellar had terrors for him, and he hardly dared 
to move a finger, for fear it might come in contact 
with some living thing. For three long hours he 
sat upon his box, in a state of terror beyond our 
power to describe, and all this while, the plucky 
Wilson, with a happy indifference to circumstances, 
which Chase greatly envied, slumbered heavily. 


148 THE SPORTSMAN'S CLUB AFLOAT. 


CHAPTER VIII. 
CHASE RISES TO EXPLAIN. 


\ 7ILSON knew, as well as Chase, that the 

latter had not overestimated the dangers of 
their situation. Cuba was in a state of insurrec- 
tion, having declared her independence of Spain. 
Several battles had been fought between the rebels 
and the Spanish troops, and deeds of violence were 
daily enacted in every part of the island. Wilson 
knew all this before the voyage for Cuba was com- 
menced, but he had never dreamed that he and the 
rest of the crew of the yacht could in any way be- 
come mixed up in the troubles. He had set out 
simply with the intention of assisting to rescue 
Fred Craven from the power of the smugglers, and 
here he was suspected of being a smuggler himself, 
and of having in his possession cases of arms to be 
delivered to the agents of the Cuban government. — 
Don Casper, to whose house he had been brought 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 149 


in so strange a manner, thought that such was his 
occupation and character, for he had said so; and 
he had also hinted that the Spanish troopers sus- 
pected them, and that it would be dangerous to fall 
into their hands. This was certainly an tnlooked 
for termination to the expedition upon which he 
and the members of the Sportsman’s Club had en- 
tered with so much eagerness, and it was enough to 
awaken in his mind the most serious misgivings. 
But he was a courageous fellow, and knowing that 
much depended upon keeping up the spirits of his 
desponding friend, he affected an indifference that 
he was very far from feeling. He slept because he 
was utterly exhausted by the labor and excitement 
he had undergone during the last few days. 

Chase was equally wearied by his nights of watch- 
ing and exposure, but his fears effectually banished 
sleep from his eyes. For three long hours, as we 
have said, he sat motionless on the dry-goods box, 
listening intently and wondering how his captivity 
was to end, and at the expiration of that time, he 
was frightened almost out of his senses by hearing 
a stealthy footfall outside the door of the wine- 
cellar, and the noise of a key grating in the lock. 
Utterly unable to speak, he sprang to his feet, and 


150 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


seizing his slumbering companion by the shoulders, 
shook him roughly. 

“Ay! ay!” repliel Wilson, drowsily. “I will 
be on deck in five minutes. Is Cuba in sight yet?” 

‘“You are not on board the yacht,’’ whispered 
.Chase, recovering the use of his tongue by an 
effort, ‘‘ but in the cellar of that old Creole’s house ; 
and here come the Spaniards to arrest us.”’ 

These words aroused Wilson, who rubbed his eyes 
and sat up on the dry-goods box just as the door 
opened, admitting a muffled figure in slouch hat 
and cloak, who carried a lighted lantern in his 
hand. Chase looked over the man’s shoulder into 
the cellar beyond, expecting to see the. troopers 
of whom he stood so much in fear; but their visitor 
was alone, and, if any faith was to be put in his 
actions, he had come there with anything but hostile 
intentions. He held his lantern aloft, and after 
gazing at the boys a moment, nodded his head and 
motioned to them to follow him. Wilson promptly 
obeyed, but Chase hung back. 

‘Tam not sure that it will be safe,’’ said he, 
doubtfully. ‘‘ Perhaps we had better ask him to 
tell who sent him here, and what he intends to do 
with us.” 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 151 


** Let’s follow him now and listen to his explana- 
tion afterward,” replied Wilson. “I don’t care 
~ much what he does with us, so long as he leads us 
into the open air. Anything is-better than being 
shut up in this dark prison.” 

Chase was not fully satisfied on that point, but 
he was not allowed even a second to consider it. 
Wilson and their visitor moved off, and finding that he 
was about to be left alone in the dark, Chase stepped 
quickly out of the wine cellar and followed them. 
The man led the way to the stairs, which he as- 
cended with noiseless footsteps, stopping now and 
then to listen, his every movement being imitated 
by the anxious captives. They reached the hall, 
and moved on tip-toe toward the door, which opened 
upon the back verandah; but just before they 
reached it their guide paused, and after giving each 
of the boys a warning gesture, raised his hand and 
stood pointing silently before him. The young 
sailors looked, and their hearts seemed to stop beat- 
ing when they discovered, stretched out directly in 
front of the door, the burly form of one of the 
Spanish troopers. He slumbered heavily upon his 
blanket, one arm thrown over his head, and the 
other resting upon his carbine which lay across his 


152 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


breast. What was to be done now? was the ques 
tion each of the boys asked himself, and which was 
quickly answered by their guide, who, with another 
warning gesture, moved forward, and stepping nim- 
bly over the prostrated sentinel, beckoned to them 
to follow. Wilson at once responded and reached 
the verandah without arousing the sleeper; but it 
seemed -as if Chase could not muster up courage 
enough to make the attempt. 

“‘T can’t do it,’’ he whispered, in reply to Wilson’s 
gestures of impatience. ‘‘ Tell that man to come back 
and lead me out of the house by some other door.” 

“What good will it do to talk to him?” replied 
Wilson, in the same cautious whisper. ‘It is very 
evident from his actions that he can’t talk English ; 
and, besides, if there were any other way to get out, 
it isn’t likely that he would have brought us here. 
- I'd show a little pluck, if I were you. Come on.” 

“But what if that soldier should awake and 
spring up just as I was about to step over him ?” 
continued Chase, in an ecstasy of alarm. . “‘ He'd 
catch me, sure.” 

“‘ He will catch you if you stay there—you may 
depend upon that.” 

Chase might still have continued to argue the 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 153 


point, had not the actions of the guide aroused him 
to a full sense of his situation. The man, who had 
been beckoning vehemently to him, suddenly faced 
about, and tapping Wilson on the shoulder, started 
down the steps that led from the verandah to the 
ground. Then Chase saw that he must follow or re- 
main a prisoner in the house. He started and 
passed the sleeping sentinel in safety ; but his mind 
was in such a whirl of excitement and terror that to 
save his life he could not: have told how he did it. 
When he came to himself he and Wilson were fol- 
lowing close at the heels of their guide, who was 
leading the way at a rapid run along the lane that 
led to the negro quarters. 

** T wish I had never seen or heard of the Sports- 
man’s Club,’’ panted Chase, drawing his handker- 
chief across his forehead, for the exciting ordeal 
threugh which he had just passed, had brought the 
cold perspiration from every pore of his body; “I 
never was in a scrape like this before, and if I once 
get out of it you'll never see me in another. Fred 
Craven can take care of himself now; I am going 
home.” 

‘“‘ When are you going to start ?’’ asked Wilson. 

“‘ Just as soon as I reach the village.”’ 


154 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘* How are you going?” 

“JT don’t know, and what’s more, I don’t care. 
I'll float there on a plank before I'll stay here 
twenty-four hours longer. There’s another sentry. 
He’s awake too, and coming toward us. Which way 
shall we run now ?”’ 

While Chase was speaking a man stepped into 
view from behind the fence and hurried toward them; 
but they soon found that there was no cause for 
alarm, for the new-comer was Don Casper himself. 

“My lads,” he exclaimed, gleefully, ‘‘ I am over- 
joyed to see you once more, and in possession of 
your liberty too.” And as he threw aside his cloak 
and extended a hand to each of them, the boys saw 
that he wore a sword by his side, and that his belt 
contained a brace of pistols. ‘‘This afternoon’s 
work has ruined me,”’ continued the Don, hurriedly. 
‘“‘Tt was very wrong in Captain Conway to send you 
out here in broad day-light, knowing as he does that 
I have long been suspected of being a rebel, and 
that the patrol were only waiting for some proof 
against me to arrest me. ‘They’ve got that proof 
now, and my property will all be confiscated.”’ 

And now something happened which Wilson had 
feared and was on the lookout for—something 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 155 


which came very near placing him and his friend in 
a much worse predicament than they had yet got 
into. It was nothing more nor less than an effort 
on the part of Chase to explain matters to the Don. 
Wilson had thought over their situation since his 
release from the wine cellar, and he had come to 
the conclusion that, in the event of again meeting 
with their host, it would not be policy to attempt to 
correct the wrong impressions he had received con- 
cerning them, for the reason that it might prove a 
dangerous piece of business. He was afraid that 
the Don might not believe their story. In order to 
make him understand it, it would be necessary to 
go back to the day of the panther hunt, and describe 
what had then taken place between Bayard Bell and 
the members of the Sportsman’s Club. That would 
consume a good deal of time, and there would be 
some things to tell that would look very unreason- 
able; and perhaps the Don would do as the captain 
of the revenue cutter had done—declare that it was 
all false. He would very likely think that the boys 
were trying to deceive him, and he might even go 
so far as to believe that they were in sympathy with 
the Spaniards, and that they had been employed by 
them to come to his house in the character of smug- 


‘ 


156 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


glers, on purpose to give the patrol an excuse for 
arresting him. This thought was enough to cause 
even the plucky Wilson some anxiety, and the longer 
he pondered upon it the more alarmed he became. 

““We haven’t seen the worst of it yet, I 3m 
afraid,’ he soliloquized. ‘“ We are in a much worse 
predicament than I thought. There will certainly 
be an explosion if the Don finds out that we are 
not the fellows he takes us for, and perhaps he'll 
be mad enough to smash things. He’s got a good 
opinion of us now, and it would be foolish to say 
anything to change it. Our best plan will be to 
keep our mouths closed, and to get away from him 
without loss of time. If I only knew who wrote 
the note that negro gave ba and what was in it, I 
would know just how to act.’ 

Wilson waited for an opportunity to talk this plan 
over with Chase, but did not find it, for the reason 
that the Don made his appearance too quickly. The 
only course then left for him to pursue was to do 
all the talking himself, and allow his compan’on no 
chance to speak; but the latter was too smart for 
him, and with a dozen words brought about the very 
state of affairs that Wilson had hoped to guard 
against. 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 157 


“You must not blame us for your misfortune,” 
said Chase. | 

“T donot. It is Captain Conway’s fault.” 

“He did not send us here—that is, we did not 
come by his orders. We are not smugglers, and 
neither have we any arms for you.” 

“Kh?” exclaimed the Don. 

“We don’t belong to the Stella, either. We 
came here in a private yacht, on our own private 
business, and know nothing about your transactions 
with Captain Conway.” 

“Gracias & Dios!’’ cried the Cuban; and the 
words came out from between his clenched teeth in 
a way that Chase did not like. 

‘Hold easy. Don’t get angry until you hear my 
explanation. Remember that we have not tried to 
sail under false colors, since we have been here at 
your house. You did not ask us who we were, did 
you? If you had given us the opportunity, we 
should have been glad to have appeared before you 
in our true characters, and to have explained the 
reason for our visit.”’ 

Having thus introduced his subject, Chase cleared 
his throat, thrust his hands into his pockets, and 
began a hurried and rather disconnected account of 


158 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


the events which had brought them to Cuba. The 
Don stood like a man in a dream. He was not lis- 
tening to what the young sailor said, but was pon- 
dering upon some words he had uttered a few 
moments before. Suddenly he interrupted him. 
‘Your true character !” he exclaimed furiously. 
“ Knough! That is all I wish to hear from you. I 
suspected you from the first. You have told me 
who you are not, and now I shall ascertain for my- 
self who you are. The Stella is at the village, I 
know, for one of my negroes saw her there. I shall 
introduce you into the presence of Captain Conway 
before you are an hour older; and when he sees” 
you, he will probably be able to tell me whether or 
not you came here by his orders. If he cannot 
vouch for you, you will find yourselves in serious 
trouble, I can tell you. I am now going to the 
stable after some horses, and you and your compan- 
ion will move up into the shadow of this store-house 
and remain there, until I return, under the eye of 
my overseer, whom [I shall instruct to shoot you 
down if you make the least attempt at escape.” 
Chase listened to this speech in utter amazement. 
His under jaw dropped down, and for a few sec- 
onds he stood gazing stupidly at the Don, who 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 159 


turned and began an earnest conversation in Span- 
ish with his overseer—the man who had released 
the boys from the wine-cellar. At last he recovered 
himself in some measure, and made a bungling at- 
tempt to repair the damage he had done. 

“T say, Don!” he exclaimed, “now you are 
laboring under another mistake, quite as bad as the 
first. You take us for Spanish sympathizers—I 
know you do, but we are not. We've got no inter- 
est in this fight, and we don’t care which whips. I 
mean—you know—of course you Cubans are in the 
right, and we hope you will succeed in establishing 
your independence. I wish we had a whole cargo 
of arms for you, but we haven’t. I wish the Ban- 
_ ner was loaded so deep with them that she was on 
the point of sinking, but she isn’t. O dear! I wish 
he would stop talking to that man and listen to me. 
I could set everything right in a few minutes. 
Speak to him, Wilson.” 

But his friend paid as little attention to him as 
the Don did. He stood narrowly watching the 
two men, and although he could not understand a 
word of their conversation, he knew pretty nearly 
_ what they were talking about. It was plain enough 
to him, too, that the overseer was as angry at them 


160 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


as his master was. He raised his lantern to allow 
its beams to fall full in their faces, scowled fiercely 
at each of them in turn, and then throwing aside 
his cloak and laying his hand on the butt of one of 
his pistols, motioned to them to follow him to the 
storehouse. As they obeyed the gesture, the Don 
hurried down the lane, not however without stopping 
long enough to tell the captives that the overseer 
was a good shot, and that an attempt to run away 
from him would be dangerous. | 

Never was a boy more astounded and alarmed 
. than Chase was at that moment. Reaching the 
storehouse, he flung himself on the ground beside 
it in a state of utter dejection and misery. He 
looked at Wilson, who seated himself by his side, 
but even had there been light enough for him to 
see the expression that rested on the face of his 
friend, he would have found no encouragement 
there. Wilson was almost disheartened himself. 
Things looked even darker now than when they 
were confined in the wine-cellar—a state of affairs 
for which his companion was alone to blame. But 
Wilson had no fault to find. The mischief was 
done and could not be undone; and like a sensible 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 161 


fellow, he determined to make the best of it, and 
say nothing about it. 

“Don't I wish I had never seen or heard of the 
Sportsman’s Club !” said Chase, feebly. ‘ I wonder 
if that overseer understands English? Try him, 
Wilson. I want to say something to you.” 

Wilson, for want of something better to do, ad- 
dressed a few words to their guard, who stood close 
at their side, keeping a sharp eye on their move- 
ments, but he only shook his head, and threw aside 
his cloak to show his pistols. 

“TI think you may speak freely,” said Wilson. 
“What were you going to say ?” 

“We're in trouble again,” replied Chase. 

“QO! Is that all? It’s no news.” 

“<T wish I had not tried to explain matters.” 

0-00...” 

“Ts there nothing we can do? Let’s jump up 
and take to our heels. I'll risk the bullets in the 
overseer’s pistols, if you will.” 

“What's the use? Where shall we run to ?”’ 

“To town, of course We want to go back to 
the yacht, don’t we ?”’ 

“ Qertainly. But if we wait a few minutes, the 

- Don will bring us some horses, and then we can 
at 


162 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


ride there. That will be much easier than walking, 
and safer too; for not knowing the way, we might 
get lost in the darkness, or run against some of the 
patrols on the road.” 

“‘ Do you intend to go to town with the Don?” 
asked Chase, in great amazement. 

whoo Res (eS 

“Well, if you don’t beat all the fellows I ever 
heard of !. You have certainly taken leave of your 
senses. Don’t you know that Captain Conway and 
Mr. Bell will do all they can to strengthen the 
Don’s suspicions ?”’ 

‘You didn’t hear me through. We don’t want 
to see either of those worthy gentlemen, if we can 
avoid it. We will go with the Don, simply because 
we can’t help ourselves, and perhaps -during the 
ride he will get over his mad fit, so that we can 
talk to him. If he does, we will tell him our story 
from beginning to end, and ask him to go aboard 
the Banner with us. Walter and the other fellows 
must have returned by this time, and when the Don 
finds that their story agrees with ours, and sees the 
yacht’s papers, perhaps he will believe us. If he 
don’t, let’s see him help himself. We'll be on board — 
our vessel then, and we’ll stay there.” 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 163 


“Yes. That’s all very nice. But suppose the 
Banner isn’t there? What then?” 

“Kh ?” exclaimed Wilson. 

‘“‘Those deserters may have returned and run 
off with her during our absence. What would you 
do in that case ?”’ 

“T don’t know. I wasn’t calculating on that.” 

** And what will the Don do?” continued Chase. 
‘If we tell him that we shall find our yacht at the 
wharf and she happens to be gone, he will have more 
reason to suspect us than he does now.”’ 

Wilson looked at his companion, and then settling 
back against the storehouse, went off into a brown 
study ; while Chase, after waiting afew minutes for 
him to say something, sprang to his feet, and began 
pacing nervously back and forth. Just then, an in- 
cident happened which created a diversion in favor 
of the two boys, and which they were prompt to take 
advantage of, only in different ways. 


164 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


CHAPTER IX. 
WILSON RUNS A RACE. 


HE diversion of which we have spoken was 

caused by the sound of stealthy footsteps, and 
an indistinct murmur of voices which came from the 
opposite side of the storehouse. Somebody was 
coming down the lane. Believing that it was the 
Don returning with the horses, Wilson arose slowly 
to his feet and stood awaiting the orders of the 
guard, while Chase stopped his walk and looked 
first one way and then the other, as if he were 
going to run off as soon as he could make up his 
mind which direction to take. The actions of the 
overseer, however, seemed to indicate that there was 
some one besides the Don approaching—some one 
whom he had not been expecting and whom he did 
not care to see. He stood for a few seconds listen- 
ing to the footsteps and voices, and then moving 
quickly into the shadow of the storehouse, crouched 
close to the ground, muttering Spanish ejaculations 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 165 


and acting altogether as if he were greatly perplexed. 
His behavior did not escape the notice of Wilson, 
and it at once suggested to him the idea of escape. 
His first impulse was to rush out of his concealment 
and throw himself upon the protection of the new- 
comers; but sober second thought stepped in and 
told him that it would be a good plan to first ascer- 
tain who they were. He moved to the corner of 
the storehouse, and looking up the lane, saw four 
men approaching. They were dressed like sailors— 
he could see their wide trowsers and jaunty hats, 
dark as it was—and he noticed that two of them 
carried handspikes on their shoulders. They were 
so near to him that he was afraid to move lest he 
should attract their attention, and they came still 
nearer to him with every step they took. They 
were directing their course toward the storehouse, 
talking earnestly as they approached, and presently 
some startling words, uttered by a familiar voice, 
fell upon his ear. 

“T tell you this is the house. I guess I know 
what I am about. When I first discovered it the 
negroes belonging to the plantation were gathered 
here in a crowd, and a white man was serving them 
with corn-meal and bacon. All we’ve got to do is 


166 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


to ‘bust open this door, and we'll find provisions 
enough to last us on a cruise around the world. 
Now, Bob, I want you to clap a stopper on that 
jaw of yours and hush your growling. If I don’t 
take you safely to Havana, I’ll agree to sign over 
to you all the prize money I win in that privateer.”’ 

“‘T ain’t growling about that,” replied another 
familiar voice. ‘I don’t like the idea of stealing 
private yachts and running away with them. It 
looks too much like piracy.” 

‘“‘ Well, it can’t be helped now. The Banner is 
ours, and the best thing we can do is to use her 
while we’ve got her. Give me that handspike and 
I'll soon open this door. Keep your weather eyes 
open, the rest of you.” 

Wilson listened as if fascinated; and when the 
conversation ceased, and the door began to creak 
and groan as the handspike was brought to bear 
upon it, he thrust his head farther around the corner 
of the storehouse, and at the imminent risk of being 
seen by the men, who were scarcely more than four 
feet distant, took a good survey of the group. His 
ears had not deceived him. The men who had 
thus unexpectedly intruded their presence upon him, — 


were none other than Tomlinson and the rest of the 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 167 


deserters from the revenue cutter. He could dis- 
tinctly see every one of them. ‘Tomlinson was en- 
gaged in breaking open the door of the storehouse, 
and the others stood a little farther off, some looking 
up and the rest down the lane. 

““ Now here’s a go,” thought Wilson, so excited 
that he scarcely knew what he was about. ‘Them 
fellows have stolen the Banner, and are preparing 
to supply themselves with provisions for their voyage 
to Havana. What will become of us if we don’t 
get that boat back again? They shan’t have her. 
We'll slip away from this overseer and turn their 
triumph into defeat before they are ten minutes 
older.” 

Wilson turned to look at the guard. The man 
was standing close behind him, and seemed to be 
awaiting the result of his investigations. Acting 
upon a resolution he had suddenly formed, the 
young sailor stepped aside, and motioned to him to 
look around the corner of the building. The man 
complied, and no sooner was his back turned, than 
Wilson ran swiftly, but noiselessly, along the side 
of the storehouse, looking everywhere for Chase; 
but the latter was not in sight. Greatly surprised 
at his sudden disappearance, and almost ready to 


168 THE SPORTSMAN S CLUB AFLOAT. 


doubt the evidence of his eyes, he glanced along 
the building again and again, and even spoke his 
friend’s name as loudly as he dared, but without 
receiving any response. 

‘“‘ He has watched his chance and taken himself 
off,” thought Wilson. ‘I'll soon find him, and if 
we don’t upset the plans of Tomlinson and his crew, | 
I shall miss my guess. Good-by, Mr. Overseer! 
When the Don returns and asks where your prison- 
ers are, you may tell him you don’t know.” 

So saying, Wilson dodged around the corner of 
the storehouse, and struck off toward the beach 
with all the speed he could command. 

And where was Chase all this time? If Wilson 
had known the reason for his disappearance, he 
would not have had a very high opinion of his 
friend. That. worthy had been thinking deeply 
since his last conversation with Wilson, and had at 
length hit upon what he conceived to be a remark- 
ably brilliant plan for extricating himself from his 
troubles. , 

“The expedition is a failure—that’s plain enough 
to be seen,” he had said to himself; ‘‘ and instead 
of trying to rescue Fred Craven, it strikes me that 
it.would be a good plan to look out for our own 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 169 


safety. Iam not going back to town with the Don, 
and the only way to avoid it is to desert. Yes, sir, 
that’s just what Til do. I shall be much safer 
alone than in the company of such fellows as this 
Wilson and Walter Gaylord, who are continually 
getting themselves and others into trouble, and Til 
see home before they do, P’ll warrant. I'll get out 

,of Cuba, at any rate. IT’ll ship aboard the first 
vessel that leaves port, I don’t care if she takes me 
to South America.” 

It never occurred to Chase, while he was congrat- 
ulating himself upon this idea, that, in carrying it 
into execution, he would be making a very poor re- 
turn for Wilson’s kindness and friendship. He 
forgot the fidelity with which the latter had clung 
to him through thick and thin, and the assistance 
he had rendered him in inducing Walter Gaylord to 
interest himself in his affairs. All he thought of 
was his own safety. The approach of the deserters 
was a most fortunate thing for him, for it gave him 
the very opportunity he was waiting for. He heard 
the voices and the footsteps, and the alarm the 
sounds at first produced gave way to a feeling of 
exultation, when he saw Wilson and the overseer 
move cautiously toward the opposite end of the 


170 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


storehouse. Had he waited a minute longer he 
might have escaped in company with his friend, and 
saved himself a good many exciting adventures 
which we have yet to relate; but the guard with 
his dreaded pistols was at the farther end of the 
building, and the chance was too good to be lost. 
He sprang around the corner of the storehouse, and 
in an instant was out of sight in the darkness. 

Wilson, little dreaming what had become of him, 
pursued his way with rapid footsteps across the 
field toward the -beach, taking care to keep the 
negro quarters between him and the men at the 
storehouse. He kept his eyes roving through the 
darkness in every direction, in the hope of discover- 
ing Chase, but was disappointed. 

‘“‘ He can’t be far away, and when I come up with 
him, I will tell him how we can beat these deserters 
at their own game,”’ chuckled the young sailor, highly 
elated over the plans he had formed. “If they 
came here in the Banner, she must be at anchor 
somewhere along the beach. As there are but four 
of them, and they are all at the storehouse, it fol- 
lows as a thing of course that they must have left 
the yacht unguarded. It will be the easiest thing 
in the world to swim off to her, hoist the sails, and 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. bya: 


put to sea before they know what is going on. I 
declare, there’s Chase now, and the yacht, too! 
Hurrah !” 

Wilson had by this time arrived within sight of 
the little bay, which set into the shore at this place, 
and just then, the rays of the moon, struggling 
through a rift in the clouds, gave him a fair view 
of the scene before him. ‘The first object his eyes 
rested upon was the yacht, riding at anchor about a 
quarter of a mile from the shore. The next, was a 
stone jetty extending out into the water, beside 
which were moored several boats. In one of them 
a sail was hoisted. This was probably the one 
which the deserters intended to use to convey the 
stolen provisions on board the yacht. The third 
object was a human figure, standing on the beach 
near the jetty. He wore a cloak and a slouch hat, 
and Wilson thought he recognised in him his missing 
friend, although he at the same time wondered how 
he had come by the articles named, for he certainly 
had not worn them the last time he saw him. 
Hearing the sound of his approach, the figure step- 
ped upon the jetty and moved nervously about, as 
if undecided whether to take to his heels or wait 
until he came up. 


172 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


“Don’t be alarmed, Chase; it is I,” exclaimed 
Wilson, as soon as he came within speaking dis- 
tance. ‘‘ What possessed you to run off without 
saying a word tome? It is only by good luck that 
I have found you again. Do you see what those 
deserters have been doing?” he added, pointing to 
the yacht. “ Let’s get into one of these boats and 
take possession of her before they return. We've 
got the best right to her.”’ 

Wilson, who had shouted out these words as he 
approached the figure, was a good deal surprised at 
the manner in which his proposition was received. 
It did not meet with the ready response he had ex- 
pected, for the figure, whoever he was, remained 
perfectly motionless and said nothing. That was 
not at all like Chase, and Wilson began to believe 
there was something wrong somewhere. He stopped 
afew feet from the figure, and peering sharply at 
him, discovered, to his great surprise, that the slouch 
hat covered a face that did not at all resemble his 
friend’s. It was a bearded face—an evil face—a 
face that was quite familiar to him, and which be 
had hoped never to see again. 

‘Pierre!’ he exclaimed, in alarm. 


‘“‘’Tain’t nobody else,’’ was the reply. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. g ts 


For the next few seconds, the two stood looking 
at one another without speaking—Wilson wonder- 
ing what was to be done now, and trying in vain to 
find some explanation for the smuggler’s presence 
there, and the latter evidently enjoying the boy’s 
bewilderment. 

‘“¢ What are you doing on this plantation ?”’ asked 
the young sailor, breaking the silence at last. 

“T might ask you the same question, I reckon. 
We thought you were captured by the Spaniards 
long ago. That’s what we sent you out here for.” 

“© We? Who are we?” 

‘Mr. Bell, Captain Conway, and the rest of us.” 

“Ah!” exclaimed Wilson, so indignant at this 
avowal that he forgot all his fear; “‘ then Chase and 
I were right in our surmises. Well, your little 
plans didn’t work, did they? But you have not 
yet told me what you are doing here. How came 
you in company with these deserters; and how did 
you get possession of the yacht?” 

“‘That’s Mr. Bell’s business.”’ 

‘¢So, he had something to do with it, had he? I 
thought as much. Where are Walter and the rest 
of the fellows?” 

** We left them somewhere about the village.”’ 


174 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘Where have you started for—Havana ?” 

‘“¢ That’s another thing that don’t interest you.” 

“Yes, it does. I know you are going there, and 
that you will start as soon as Tomlinson comes back 
with the provisions. Will you take me with you?” 

‘“Not much. We've got all the crew we want.” 

“Why, Pierre!” exclaimed Wilson, ‘ you surely 
Jo not mean to leave me here? I am all alone. 
Chase has left me, and I haven’t seen Walter and 
the rest of the fellows since four o’clock this after- 
noon.” 

‘Weil, I can’t help that, can I?” 

‘“‘How am I to get home, if you go away in the 
Banner ?”’ . 

“'That’s your lookout.” 

‘“Now, what have I done to you, that you should 
treat me in this way?” 

“You have been meddling with our business— 
that’s what you have done,’ answered Pierre, 
fiercely. ‘You ought to have stayed in Bellville, 
while you were there, and attended to your own 
concerns. We don’t care whether or not you ever 
get back.”’ 

Wilson, wath an air of utter dejection, seated him- — 
self on the jetty, while Pierre, who.took a savage 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. Lh 


delight in tormenting the boy, thrust his hands into 
his pockets and began pacing back and forth on the 
beach. The crew of the yacht had caused the 
smugglers considerable anxiety, and they had shown 
so much courage and perseverance in their pursuit 
of the Stella, that they had raised the ire of every 
one of her company, and Pierre was glad of this 
opportunity to obtain some slight satisfaction; but 
had he known all that was passing in the boy’s 
mind, he would have found that he had even more 
spirit and determination to deal with than he 
imagined. Wilson was only playing a part. He 
was firm in his resolution to recover the yacht, but 
knowing that he could not cope with Pierre openly, 
he resorted to strategy. By pretending to be com- 
pletely cowed by the smuggler’s fierce words and 
manner, he had thrown the latter off his guard; and 
when he walked past him and took his seat on the 
jetty, Pierre did not raise any objections. By this 
manoeuvre, Wilson gained a position between the 
man and the nearest boat, which happened to be 
the one with the sail hoisted. That was the first 
step accomplished. The next was to draw Pierre’s 
attention to something, if it were only for a moment, 
until he could run to the boat, cast off the painter, 


176 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


and fill away for the yacht. He was not long in 
hitting upon a plan. 

‘“‘T know what I shall do,” said he, at length. 
“T’'ll stay here until Tomlinson comes, and ask him 
if he won’t take me aboard the Banner.” 

‘¢T can tell you now that he won't do it,”’ replied 
Pierre. 

“JT don’t care; I'll ask him, any way. If I can 
only go to Havana, that’s all I want. I shall be 
able to find some vessel there bound for the States. 
He’s coming now.” | 

Pierre paused in his walk and looked toward the 
plantation house, but could see nothing. He lis- 
tened, but all he heard was the roar of the surf on 
the beach. 

“TI can hear them, 


9? 


continued Wilson, rising to 
his feet; ‘and they’re in trouble too. They’re 
running and shouting. There! did you hear that 
gun?” 

Pierre listened again, and then walked a few 
_steps up the beach to get a little farther away from 
the surf. A moment later he heard the sound of 
rapid footfally and turned quickly to see Wilson 
flying along the jetty toward the boat. | 

‘Stop!’ he roared, springing forward in pursuit 


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THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 177 


the instant he divined the boy’s intention. ‘ You 
are not going aboard that yacht.”’ 

‘‘That depends upon whether I do or not,” 
shouted Wilson, in reply. 

The race that followed was short but highly ex- 
citing. Wilson sped along as swiftly as a bird on 
the wing, scarcely seeming to touch the ground; 
while the clumsy Pierre puffed and blowed like a 
high pressure steamboat; and finding that he was 
encumbered by his heavy cloak, threw it aside, and 
even discarded his hat; but all to no purpose. 
Wilson made such good use of his time that he 
succeeded in reaching the boat and jumping into it, 
before his pursuer came up; but there his good 
fortune seemed to end. He could not cast off the 
painter. One end of it was passed around one of 
the thwarts, and the other made fast to a ring in 
the jetty, and both knots were jammed so that he 
could not undo them. He pulled, and tugged, and 
panted in vain. He felt for his knife to cut the 
rope, but could not find it. As a last resort he 
seized the thwart with both hands, and exerting all 
his strength, wrenched it loose from its fastenings, 
and tivew it overboard, at the same time placing 


his shoulder against the jetty, and with a strong 
12 


178 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


push, sending the boat from the shore. With a cry 
of triumph he seized the sheet which was flapping 
in the wind, passed it around a cleat with one hand 
and seized the tiller with the other. The boat be- 
gan to gather headway, but just a moment too late. 
Pierre, all out of breath, and full of rage, now came 
up, and seeing that the boy was about to escape 
him, threw himself, without an instant’s hesitation, 
headlong into the water. He fell just astern of 
the boat, and although Wilson hauled hard on the 
sheet, and crowded her until she stood almost on 
her side, he could not make her go fast enough to 
get out of the man’s reach. He made a blind 
clutch as he arose to the surface, and fastened with 
a firm grip upon the rudder. 

‘Now, then!’ exclaimed Pierre, fiercely, “I 
reckon you'll stop, won't you ?” 

Wilson was frightened, but he did not lose his 
presence of mind. Had he spent even a second in 
considering what ought to be done, his capture 
would have been certain, for the smuggler clung to 
the rudder with one hand, and stretched out the 
other to seize the stern of the boat. | 

‘“Pierre,”’ said the boy, ‘(if you want that piece 
of wood, you may have it. I can get along without 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 179 


it.” And with a quick movement he unshipped 
the rudder, and the boat flew on, leaving it in the 
man’s grasp. . 

The little craft, now being without a steering ap- 
paratus, quickly fell off and lost headway, and 
Pierre, with a loud yell of rage, threw away the 
rudder and struck out vigorously, expecting to 
overtake her; but Wilson seized the sheet in his 
teeth, picked up one of the oars that lay under the 
thwarts, dropped the blade into the water, and in 
less time than it takes to tell it, the boat was again 
under control, and rapidly leaving Pierre behind. 

‘There, sir!’ said Wilson; “I did it, but I 
wouldn’t go through the same thing again to be 
made an admiral. I’ve got the yacht in my undis- 
puted possession, or shall have in a few minutes, 
and what shall I do with her? Shall I lay off and 
on and make signals for Chase, or shall I go back 
to the village after Walter and the other fellows? 
Come on, old boy! I am well out of your reach.” 

This last remark was addressed to Pierre, who, 
. having been washed ashore by the surf, had run to 
one of the boats that were moored to the jetty, and 
was hoisting a sail, preparatory to pursuing Wilson. 
This movement caused the young sailor no uneasi- 


ve 
180 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


ness. He had a long start, and he knew that he 
could reach the yacht, slip the anchor, and get 
under way before Pierre could come up. He kept 
one eye on the man, and pondered upon the ques- 
tions he had just asked himself; but before he had 
come to any decision, he found himself alongside 
the yacht. As he rounded to under her bow, he 
thought he heard a slight movement on her deck. 
He listened intently, but the sound was not repeated ; 
and after a little hesitation, he placed his hands 
upon the rail, drew himself up and looked over. 
He saw no one, but he soon found that that was no 
proof there was no one there, for, as he sprang 
upon the yacht’s deck, and ran forward to slip the 
anchor, his feet were suddenly pulled from under 
him, and he fell forward on his face. Before he 
could move or cry out, some one threw himself 
across his shoulders, and seizing both his hands, 
pinned them to the deck. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 181 


CHAPTER X. 
A LUCKY FALL. 


RE we not in luck for once in our lives? Who 
would have thought that the storm which 

blew us so far out of our course, was destined to 
prove an advantage instead of a hindrance to us?” 

** Not I, for one, but I can seeitnow. If we had 
gone to Havana, as we intended, we should never 
have seen the Stella again, or Featherweight either. 
Now that we have found him, what is the next 
thing to be done?” 

“We'll talk about that as we go along, and keep 
them in sight until we have decided upon a plan of 
action. There they go over the hill. Let’s hurry 
on, for we must allow them no chance to give us the 
slip.” 

This conversation was carried on by Walter and 
Perk, as they ran up the hill in pursuit of Fred 
Craven, whom they had seen going toward the vil- 
Jage in company with Mr. Bell and Captain Con- 


182 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


way. They knew it was Fred, and they knew too 
that he saw them, and was aware that they were fol- 
lowing him, for once, just before he disappeared 
from their sight, he drew his handkerchief from his 
pocket and waved it in the air behind him. The 
movement was executed with but little attempt at 
concealment; but, although the Captain and Mr. 
Bell must certainly have seen it, they made no effort 
to'check it. . 

As we have seen, from the few words that passed 
between them, the young sailors had left the yacht 
without any very definite object in view. They 
wanted to assist Fred Craven, if the opportunity 
were presented, but just how they were going to set 
about it they could not tell. Should they hurry on, 
and when they came up with him demand his re- 
lease; or should they wait and see what his captors 
were going to do with him? While they were talk- 
ing the matter over, the objects of their pursuit dis- 
appeared over the brow of the hill, and that was the 
last they saw of them, although they at once quick- 
ened their pace to a run, and in a few seconds were 
standing on the very spot where they had last seen 
them. They looked in every direction, but the men ~ 
and their captive had vanished. Before them was 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 183 


a wide and level road, leading through the village 
and into the plain beyond, and they could see-every 
moving thing init for the distance of a mile. There 
were people there in abundance, but none among 
them who looked like Fred Craven and his keepers. 
Where could they have gone so suddenly ? 

‘‘Now this beats everything I ever heard of,” 
said Walter in great bewilderment. ‘‘ We are not 
dreaming, are we?” 

“No sir,” replied Perk, emphatically. “I was 
never more fully awake than I am at this moment. 
There’s some trick at the bottom of this.” 

‘What in the world is it?” 

“T should be glad to tell youif I knew. You 
take one side of the street, and I’ll take the other. 
Don’t waste time now, but be careful to look into 
every shop and behind every house you pass.” 

Walter, prompt to act upon the suggestion, set 
off at the top of his speed, followed by Perk, who, 
although equally anxious to get over a good deal of 
ground in the shortest possible space of time, con- 
ducted his search with more care. Had the former 
looked into one of the cross-streets past which he 
hurried with such frantic haste, he might, perhaps, 


have caught a partial glimpse of the burly form of 


184 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


Captain Conway standing in a doorway; and had 
he approached him he would have found Mr. Bell 
and Featherweight standing close behind him. But 
he did not know this, and neither was he aware that 
as soon as he and Perk passed on down the street, 
the master of the smuggling vessel came cautiously 
from his place of concealment, and looking around 
“the corner of a house, watched them until they were 
two hundred yards away. But the Captain did this, 
and more. Having satisfied himself that the young 
tars had been eluded, he returned to the doorway 
and held a short conversation with Mr. Bell. When 
it was ended, that gentleman hurried off out of 
sight, and the Captain, drawing Fred’s arm through 
his own, conducted him along the cross-street and 
through lanes and by-ways back to the wharf, and 
on board a vessel—not the Stella, but a large ship, 
which, if one might judge by the bustle and con- 
fusion on her deck, was just on the point of sailing. 
As he and his captive boarded her, they were met 
by the master of the vessel who, without saying » 
word, led them into his cabin and showed them an 


open state-room. Without any ceremony Fred was 


yushed into it, the door closed and the key turned a 


in the lock. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 185 


*‘ There,” said Captain Conway, with a sigh of 
relief, “‘he is disposed of at last. If any of those 
Banner fellows can find him now, I should like to 
see them do it. Mr. Bell’s been in this business too 
long to be beaten by a lot of little boys.” 

This was only a part of Mr. Bell’s plan; and 
while it was being carried into execution, some other 
events, a portion of which we have already de- 
scribed, were taking place in the harbor. The mate 
of the smuggling vessel visited the yacht, and after 
enticing Tomlinson and the rest of the deserters on 
board the Stella by the promise of a good break- 
fast, and a pipe to smoke after it, and starting off 
Wilson and his companion on a wild-goose chase, 
by sending them a note purporting to come from 
Walter, had cleared the coast so that he could carry 
out the rest of his employer’s scheme without let or 
hindrance. The first thing he did was to convey 
some bales and boxes containing arms, ammunition 
and military trappings, on board the yacht—for 
what purpose we shall see presently—and his second 
to secure possession of Walter’s clearance papers. 
When these things had been done, the mate re- 
turned on board the Stella and received some more 


instructions from Mr. Bell; after which he came 


186 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


out of the cabin and joined the deserters who were 
in the forecastle, discussing the breakfast that had 
been prepared for them. By adroit questioning he 
finally obliged Tomlinson to confess what he had ail 
along suspected—that he and his companions be- 
longed to the United States revenue service, and 
that they had deserted their vessel and stolen a pass- 
age across the Gulf, with the intention of shipping 
aboard a Cuban privateer. When the mate had 
found out all he wanted to know, he left them with 
the remark that there was a privateer lying off Ha- 
vana, all ready to sail as soon as she had shipped a 
crew, and that if the deserters wanted to find her 
they had better start at once. He added that they 
might waste a good deal of valuable time if they 
waited for a vessel to take them to the city, and that 
the best thing for them to do would be to steal a 
small sail-boat. There were plenty of them about 
the harbor. Havana was only a hundred miles 
away, and with a fair wind they could sail there in 
a few hours. If they adopted that plan, they had 
better wait until dark in order to escape the vigi- 
lance of the Spanish officials, who boarded all ves- 
sels, even skiffs, as they entered and left the port. 

“What have you fellows got to say to that?” 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 187 


asked Tomlinson, as soon as the officer had ascended 
to the deck. ‘The mate’s plan agrees with mine ex- 
actly, and that proves that it is worth trying. We 
will go back and take the Banner as soon as we 


have finished our breakfast. J am going, at least, 


2? 


and I’d like to know who is with me. Speak up! 

All the deserters spoke up except Bob. He 
grumbled as usual, and had some objections to offer. 
““Tom,”’ said he, ‘you haven’t yet answered the 
question I asked you once before: who’s going to 
navigate the vessel? You can’t do it.”’ 

“Can't I? What’s the reason? All we’ve got 
to do is to follow the coast.” 

“And get lost or wrecked for our pains! No, 
thankee. And there’s another thing you haven’t 
thought of. We shall want some clearance papers, 
and how are we going to get “em? ‘That officer 
who boarded us as we came in will be sure to visit 
us again. The mate said so.”’ 

** We're going to give him the slip.” 

** But suppose we can’t doit? What if he sees 
us and hails us ?”’ 

““ We won't stop, that’s all. He goes around in 


a row-boat, and the yacht will easily run away from 
her.” 


188 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘‘You forget that there are two men of war in the 
harbor, and a fort on the point. I don’t care to 
run the fire of a hundred guns in such a craft as 
the Banner. Put me on board the old gunboat 
Cairo, if she was as good as before she was sunk by 
that rebel torpedo in Yazoo river, and I wouldn’t 
mind it.” 

‘We're not going to run the fire of a hundred 
guns, or one either,” replied Tomlinson. ‘I'll tell 
you just how we will manage it. ‘‘ We'll take the 
Banner at once; that’s the first thing to be done. 
Then we'll run her over to the other side of the 
harbor—there are no wharves there, you know— 
and anchor off shore until dark, when we will make 
sail and slip out; and no one will be the wiser for 
it,?” 

“But we shall want something to eat,” persisted 
Bob. ‘ There isn’t a mouthful on board the yacht. 
We may meet with head winds, you know, and be 
a week reaching Havana.” 

‘‘ Haven't I told you that it will be the easiest 
thing in the world to land somewhere on the coast 
end steal some grub ?”? demanded Tomlinson, losing 
all patience. | 


“So it will, mate, and I know just where te get 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 189 


it,” said a strange voice, in a suppressed whisper 
above their heads. 

The deserters, not a little alarmed to find that 
their conversation had been overheard, glanced 
quickly upward and saw a man crouching at the 
top of the ladder and looking down at them. It 
was Pierre, who having thus addressed them, made 
a gesture of silence, and after looking all around 
the deck as if fearful of being seen, crept down the 
ladder into the forecastle. 

“Don’t be alarmed, lads,’’ he continued, in a 
hurried whisper. ‘I heard what you said, because 
I couldn’t well help it, being at work close by the 
hatchway, and you talked louder than you thought, 
I reckon. If you will let me, I will strike hands 
with you. I have been watching all day for a 
chance to desert this craft, for I want to join that 
privateer myself. If I can do that, I shall be a 
rich man in less than six months. I like your plans, 
and will help you carry them out. Now is the best 
time in the world to capture that yacht, for there is 
nobody on board of her. I know just where to 
find the privateer, and, while we are on the way, I 
will show you where we can get all the grub we 
want.” 


190 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


Pierre rattled off this speech as if he had learned 
it by heart—as indeed he had, his teacher being 
none other than Mr. Bell—and spoke so rapidly 
that his auditors could not have crowded a word in 
edgewise if they had tried. When he finished, he 
seated himself on one of the berths and looked in- 
quiringly from one to the other, waiting for their 
answer. It was not given at once, for Bob and his 
two companions were not disposed to advance an 
opinion until they had heard what their leader had 
to say; and the latter, surprised and disconcerted 
by Pierre’s sudden appearance and his unexpected 
offer of assistance, wanted time to collect his wits 
and propound a few inquiries. He wanted to know 
who Pierre was; how long he had been on board 
the Stella; if he was certain there was a privateer 
lying off Havana waiting for a crew; how he had 
found out that she was there, and all that. .The 
smuggler gave satisfactory replies to these questions, 
and then Tomlinson extended his hand, and told , 
him that he was glad to see him. Their new 
acquaintance, being thus admitted into their confi- 
dence, helped himself to a piece of hard-tack, and 
during the conversation that followed succeeded in 
convincing the deserters that he was just the man 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 191 


they wanted; he knew how things ought to be 
managed in order to insure complete success. So 
certain was Tomlinson of this fact that, with the 
consent of his companions, he offered Pierre the 
command of the party, and agreed to be governed 
by his orders. . 

“Well, then,” said Pierre, ‘‘it is all settled, and 
the sooner we are on the move the better. If you 
have finished your breakfast, go out on the wharf 
and wait forme. I will be on hand as soon as I 
ean find a chance to leave the vessel without being 
seen.” 

The deserters accordingly left.the forecastle, and 
as soon as they were out of sight Pierre followed 
them to the deck and entered the cabin, where he 
found Mr. Bell. After a few ‘minutes’ interview 
with that gentleman, he came out again, holding in 
his hands a roll of bills, which he showed to the 
mate whom he met at the top of the companion 
ladder. He was now about to carry out the rest of 
Mr. Bell’s plan, and the money he carried in his 
hand was the reward for his services. 

In order to keep up appearances, and make the 
deserters, who were watching him from the wharf, 
believe that he was really leaving the vessel without 


192 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


the knowledge of her crew, Pierre, after gathering 
up some of his clothes, walked carelessly about the 
deck until the mate’s back was turned, and then 
vaulting over the rail, ran quickly behind a pile of 
cotton bales on the wharf; and having joined Tom- 
linson and the rest, led the way to the place where 
the Banner lay. They boarded the little vessel as 
if they had a perfect right to be there, and without 
any delay began hoisting the sails. While thus 
engaged Tomlinson happened to look up the harbor, 
and to his great disgust discovered Eugene and Bab 
hurrying along the wharf. 

““What’s to be done now, captain?” he asked, 
directing Pierre’s attention to the two boys. “There 
come some of them young sea-monkeys, and we 
can’t get under way before they board us. They're 
always around when they are not wanted.” 

Pierre’s actions, upon hearing these words, not 
a little surprised Tomlinson. He took just one 
glance at the young sailors, and then springing to 
the fore-hatch, lowered himself quickly into the 
galley. There he stopped long enough to give a 
few brief and hurried orders to the deserters, one 
of whom also jumped down into the galley, while 
the others went on with the work of hoisting the 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 193 


sails. A few minutes later, Eugene and Bab 
crossed the deck of the brig that lay between the 
yacht and the wharf, and appeared at the rail. 

‘“* What’s going on here?’’ demanded the former. 
angrily. ‘It seems tome, Tomlinson, that you are 
taking a good many liberties on so short an ac- 
quaintance. I was in hopes I had seen the last of" 
you. Drop those halliards.”’ 

“Of course I will, if you say so, because you 
are one of the owners of the yacht,” replied the 
sailor. ‘‘ But we have orders from the lieutenant 
to get under way at once.” 

“From Chase ?”’ 

eves cir. 

‘‘ Where is he?” asked Bab. 

“ THe’s below, and Wilson has gone out to look 
for you.” 

‘“ Has Walter returned yet ?”’ 

ae He is in the cabin now.” 

“‘ Why is he getting under way, and where is he 
starting for?’ inquired Eugene, as he and Bab 
swung themselves over the brig’s rail and dropped 
upon the deck of their vessel. 


“TJ don’t exactly know. There’s been something 
13 


194 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


exciting going on here. He will tell you all about 
it.” 

“Did Walter bring any one with him when he 
came back ?” 

“‘'Yes; another boy.”’ 

‘‘What’s his name—Fred Craven?” demanded 
Bab and Eugene, in a breath. 

“T don’t know. Never saw or heard of him 
before. He’s a little fellow—about as big as a 
marline-spike.”’ 

‘“‘That’s Featherweight !’* cried Eugene. 

“J know it is,” shouted Bab. ‘* Hurrah for our 
side.” 

Without waiting to ask any more questions, the 
two boys bounded toward the door of the cabin, 
each one striving to outrun the other, and to be the 
first to greet the long-lost secretary. Bab took the 
lead, and a fortunate thing it was for Eugene. 
The latter, in his haste, caught his foot in one of 
the foresail halliards, and was sent headlong to the 
deck, while Bab kept on, and jumping into the 
standing room, pushed open the door of the cabin; 
but he did not enter. He stopped short on the 
threshold and stood there motionless, until a brawny — 


THE SPORTSMAN S CLUB AFLOAT. 195 


hand fastened upon the collar of his jacket and 
jerked him through the door. 

Eugene quickly recovered his feet, and arrived 
within sight of the entrance to the cabin just an 
instant after Bab disappeared. He too paused, 
amazed at what he saw. The first thing he noticed, 
was that the lock had been forced from the door 
(Chase had locked it before leaving the yacht, and 
Pierre had used a handspike to open it), and that 
would have aroused a suspicion of treachery in his 
mind, even had he not seen Bab struggling in the 
grasp of two men, both of whom he recognised. 
One was Bob, and the other was Pierre. Eugene 
stooped down and looked into the cabin, and seeing 
that there was no one there except the two ruffians 
and their prisoner, comprehended the situation 
almost as well as if it had been explained to him. 
He could not of course, tell how Pierre came to be 
there in company with the deserters, but he knew 
that they were about to steal the yacht, and that 
‘Tomlinson had concocted the story he had told in 
order to send him and Bab into the cabin, so that 
they could be secured. Poor Bab had been en- 
trapped, and the only thing that saved Eugene, was 
the accident that had befallen him. 


196 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘Pierre,’ shouted the boy, in indignant tones, 
‘I know what you’re at, but your plan won’t work. 
You'll not get far away with the Banner—mind 
that !”’ 

Pierre at once left his companion to attend to 
Bab, and came out into the standing room, eager to 
secure Kugene, before his loud, angry voice attracted 
the attention of the brig’s crew. ‘‘ You will save 
yourself trouble by clapping a stepper on that jaw 


? 


of yours,”’ said he, fiercely. ‘‘ Come up behind 
him, Tomlinson, and the rest of you cast off the 
lines, and get the Banner under way without the 
loss of a moment.”’ 

“The rest of you let those lines alone,’’ shouted 
Eugene. ‘And Tomlinson, you keep your dis- 
tance,”’ he added, springing lightly upon the taffrail 
as the deserter advanced upon him. ‘“ You'll not 
take me into that cabin a prisoner.” 

“Grab him, Tomlinson !”’ exclaimed Pierre, “and 
be quick about it, or you'll be too late.” 

And he was too late, being altogether too slow 
in his movements to seize so agile a fellow as Eu- 
gene. Believing that the boy was fairly cornered 
and could not escape, the deserter came up very 
deliberately, and was much surprised to see him 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 197 


raise his hands above his head, and dive out of 
sight in the harbor. Tomlinson ran quickly to the 
stern and looked over, but Eugene was far out of 
his reach, being just in the act of disappearing 
around the stern of the brig. 

‘Never mind him,” said Pierre; ‘‘he’s gone, 
and we can’t help it. The next thing is to be gone 
ourselves, before he gets help and comes back.” 

‘¢ All clear fore and aft!’ cried one of the de- 
serters. 

* Shove off, for’ard !” commanded Pierre, seizing 
the wheel. ‘Tom, send two men aloft to shake 
out those topsails.”’ j 

In five minutes more the Banner, lying almost 
on her side, and carrying a huge bone in her teeth, 
was scudding swiftly away from the wharf toward 
the opposite side of the harbor. 


198 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


CHAPTER. XU 
“SSHEEP AHOY!”’ 


NV EANWHILE Eugene, whose astonishment and 

indignation knew no bounds, was striking out 
vigorously for the wharf. Like Chase he began to 
believe he had ample reason for declaring the expedi- 
tion a failure, and to wish he had known better than 
to urge iton. The yacht was lost, with no prospect 
of being recovered; Bab was a prisoner in the 
hands of the deserters, and there was no knowing 
what they would do with him; he was alone, ina 
strange country, his brother and all the rest of the 
Club having disappeared; and Fred Craven was 
still missing—perhaps had already been sent off to 
Mexico under the Spanish sea captain. This was 
the worst feature in the case, and it caused Eugene 
more anxiety than the loss of the yacht. Concern- 
ing himself he was not at all uneasy. He was in 
full possession of his liberty, was a passable sailor, 
and could easily find a vessel bound for the States ; 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 199 


but what could poor Fred do in his helpless condi- 
tion? Eugene was so fully occupied with such 
thoughts as these that he forgot that he was in the 
water; and neither did he know that he was an 
object of interest and amusement to several men 
who were watching him. But he became aware of 
the fact when he rounded the brig’s stern, for a 
voice directly over his head called out, in a strong 
foreign accent : 

*‘ Sheep ahoy !” 

‘‘'You’re a sheep yourself,’ replied Eugene, look 
ing up, just in time to catch a line as it came whirl- 
ing down to him, and to see half a dozen sailors in 
striped ‘shirts and tarpaulins, leaning over the 
brig’s rail. Seizing the line with both hands he 
was drawn out of the water, and in a few seconds 
more found himself sprawling on the vessel’s deck 
in the midst of the sailors, who greeted him with 
jeers and shouts of laughter. 

‘Now, perhaps you see something funny in this, 
but I don’t,’”’ exclaimed Eugene, as he scrambled to 
his feet and looked around for the Banner. ‘Do 
you see that craft out there? She belongs to my 
brother, and those fellows have stolen her and are 


running away with her. I am a stranger to this 


900 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


country, and its laws and ways of doing business, 
and I don’t know how to go to work to get her 
back. Perhaps some of you will be kind enough 
to give me a word of advice.” 

The sailors ceased their laughter when he began 
to speak, and listened attentively until he was done, 
when they broke out into another roar, louder than 
the first. The one who had thrown him the rope 
slapped him on the back and shouted “‘ Sheep ahoy !”’ 
while another offered him a plug of tobacco. The 
truth was, they had seen Eugene jump overboard 
when Tomlinson came aft to seize him; and, very 
far from guessing the facts of the case, they believed 
him to be one of the yacht’s boys who had taken to 
the water to escape punishment for some offence he 
had committed. They could not understand English, 
and there was only one among them who could 
speak even a word of it; and all he could say was 
“Sheep ahoy!”’ (he intended it for ‘ Ship ahoy!’”’) 
which he kept repeating over and over again, with- 
out having the least idea what it meant. They 
thought that Eugene was trying to explain to them 
how badly he had been abused on board his vessel, 
and his vehement gestures and angry countenance 


excited their mirth. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 201 


“‘ Get away with that stuff!’’ cried the boy, hitting 
the plug of tobacco a knock that sent it from the 
sailor’s hand spinning across the deck. ‘Stop 
pounding me on the back, you fellow, and shouting 
‘Sheep ahoy!’ I’m no more of a sheep than you 
are. Is there one among you who can talk Eng- 
lish ?”” 

‘Sheep ahoy !’’ yelled the sailor, while his com- 
panions burst into another roar of laughter, as the 
owner of the tobacco went to pick up his property. 

The harder Eugene tried to make himself under- 
stood, the louder the sailors laughed. At first he 
thought they would not answer his questions, merely 
because they wished to tantalize him; but being 
satisfied at last that they could not comprehend a 
word he said, he pushed them roughly aside, and 
springing upon the wharf, hurried off, followed by — 
a fresh burst of laughter and loud cries of “Sheep © 
ahoy !” 

*¢] don’t see any sense in making game of a fel- 
low that way, even if you can’t understand him,” 
thought Eugene, more angry than ever. ‘I hope 
the rebels may capture the last one of you, and 
shut you up for awhile.”’ 

Eugene did not know where he was going or 


202 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


what he intended to do. Indeed, he did not give 
the matter a moment’s thought. All he cared for 
just then was to get out of hearing of the laughter 
of the brig’s crew, and to find some quiet spot 
where he could sit down by himself, and take time 
to recover from the bewilderment occasioned by the 
events of the last quarter of an hour. With this 
object in view, he hurried along the wharf, out of 
the gate, and up the street leading to the top of the 
hill. At the same moment Walter and Perk were 
walking slowly up the other side. It was now 
nearly sunset or four long hours the young cap- 
tain and his companion had run about the village 
in every direction, looking for Fred Craven, and 
now, almost tired out, and utterly discouraged, they 
were slowly retracing their steps toward the wharf. 
They met Eugene at the top of the hill, and the 
moment their eyes rested on him, they knew he had 
some unwelcome news to communicate, although 
they little thought it as bad as it was. 

‘“‘ OQ, fellows !”’ exclaimed Eugene, as soon as he 
came within speaking distance, ‘‘ you don’t know 
how glad I am to see you again. They've got her 
at last, and Bab too; and here the rest of us are, 


high and dry ashore, with a fair prospect of work- 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 203 


ing our passage back to Bellville, if we can find 
any vessel to ship on. Look there!” 

Walter turned his eyes in the direction indicated, 
and one look was enough. ‘‘The deserters ?”’ he 
faltered. 

“Yes, sir, the deserters! And who do you sup- 
pose is their leader? Pierre Coulte!”’ 

Without waiting to hear the exclamations of 
amazement which this unexpected intelligence called 
forth from his companions, Eugene went on to tell 
what had happened to him since he had last seen 
his brother—how he and Bab had traversed the 
wharf from one end to the other without meeting 
the revenue officer of whom they had been sent in 
search, and had returned to the yacht just in time 
to see her captured. He wound up his story with 
the remark that Chase and Wilson must have been 
secured, before he and Bab came within sight of the 
vessel, for they had seen nothing of them. 

‘Well, this is a pretty state of affairs,” said 
Walter, as soon as he could speak. ‘Instead of 
assisting Fred Craven, we have managed to lose 
three more of our fellows. As far as I can see we 
are done for now, and all that is left us is to look 
about for a chance to go home. But first, I'd like 


204 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


to know what those men intend to do with the 
yacht. Do you see where they are going? Let’s 
walk around the beach. I want to keep her in 
sight as long as I can, for I never expect to see her 
after to-night.” 

Walter did not keep the Banner in sight five 
minutes after he spoke. She had by this time 
reached the other side of the harbor, and disappeared 
among the trees and bushes that lined the shore, 
having probably entered a creek that flowed into 
the bay. With one accord the boys bent their 
steps along the beach toward the spot where she 
had last been seen, not with any intention of trying 
to recover possession of her, but simply because 
they did not know what else to do. 

It was fully three miles around the beach to the 
woods in which the Banner had vanished from their 
view, but the boys had so much to talk about that 
the distance did not seem nearly so great. Almost 
before they were aware of it, they were stumbling 
about among the bushes, in close proximity to the 
Banner’s hiding-place. Not deeming it policy to 
attract the attention of her crew, they ceased their 
conversation and became more cautious in their 


movements—a proceeding on which they had reason 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 205 


to congratulate themselves; for, before they had 
gone fifty yards farther, they saw the Banner’s tall, 
taper masts rising through the bushes directly in 
advance of them. They looked about among the 
trees in every direction,- but could see no one. 
They listened, but no sound came from the direc- 
tion of the yacht. The same encouraging thought 
occurred to each of the boys at the same moment, 
and Hugene was the first to give utterance to it. 

** Can it be possible, that the deserters have run 
her in here and left her?” he asked, excitedly. 

‘“‘It is possible, but hardly probable,” replied 
Walter. “They didn’t steal her just to run her 
across the bay and leave her. They’re going to 
Havana in her.” 

““T know that. But if they are on board, why 
don’t we hear them talking or walking about? 
They may have gone back to the village for some- 
thing.” 

“Then we should have met them,” said Walter. 
But, if you say so, we'll go up nearer and re- 
connoitre. I’d like to have one more look at the 
Banner, before I give her up for ever.” 

‘Go on,’ said Perk. ‘If they are there, we 
need not show ourselves.” 


206 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


Walter, throwing himself on his hands and knees, 
crept cautiously toward the bank of the creek, and 
in a few minutes laid hold of the Banner’s bob-stay, 
and drew himself to an erect position. The little 
vessel lay close alongside the bank, held by a single 
line, her bowsprit being run into the bushes. Her 
sails had been lowered, but were not furled, and 
this made it evident that her captors had either 
hurriedly deserted her, or that they intended very 
soon to get her under way again. The boys lis- 
tened, but could hear no movement on the deck. 
Afraid to give utterance to the hopes that now 
arose in his mind, Walter looked toward his com- 
panions, and receiving an encouraging nod from 
each, seized the bob-stay again, and drawing him- 
self up to the bowsprit, looked over therail. There 
was no one in sight. Slowly and carefully he made 
his way to the deck, closely followed by Perk and 
Eugene, and presently they were all standing beside 
the hatch that led into the galley. It was open, 
anda close examination of the apartment below, 
showed them that it was empty. There was still 
one room to be looked into, and that was the cabin. 
If there was no one there, the Banner would be 
their own again in less than thirty seconds. 


/ 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 207 


Without an instant’s pause, Walter placed his 
hands on the combings of the hatch, and lowered 
himself through, still closely followed by his com- 
panions. The door leading into the cabin was 
closed but not latched. Slowly and noiselessly it 
yielded to the pressure of Walter’s hand, and 
swung open so that the boys could obtain a view 
of the interior of the cabin. They looked, and all 
their hopes of recovering the yacht vanished on 
the instant. Lying in different attitudes about the 
-cabin—stretched upon the lockers and on the floor. 
were five stalwart men, all fast asleep; and con 
Spicuous among them was Pierre, the smuggler. 
Walter hastily closed the door, and without saying 
a word, began to remove the hatch that led into the 
hold. 

‘That's the idea,’ whispered Eugene. ‘ We'll 
rescue Bab before we go ashore. Let me go down 
after him; I know he’s there.”’ 

“We'll all go down,” replied Walter; “and 
we ll not go ashore at all if we can help it. I, for 
one, don’t intend to leave the yacht again until I 
am put off by a superior force. We'll do as Tom- 
linson and his crowd did—concea) ourselves in the 


208 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


hold until the Banner is so far out to sea that we 
can’t be put off, and then we'll come out.” 

This was more than Perk and Eugene had bar- 
gained for. They believed it to be rather a reckless 
piece of business to trust themselves in the power 
of the new crew of the Banner. It was probably 
the best way to regain control of the yacht—the 
deserters would have no use for her after they 
reached Havana—but what if they should be angry 
when they found the boys aboard, and vent their 
spite by treating them harshly? In that event, 
they would be in a predicament indeed, for they 
could not get ashore, and neither could they defend — 
themselves against the attacks of grown men. But 
if Walter was determined to stay, of course they 
would stay with him. If he got into trouble, they 
would be near him to share it; and there was some 
consolation in knowing that they could not get into 
much worse situations than those they had already 
passed through. They followed him when he low- 
ered himself into the hold, and it was well they did 
so; for when Perk, who brought up the rear, was 
half way through the hatch, some one in the cabin 
uttered a loud yawn, and rising to his feet, ap- 
proached the door leading into the galley. As quick 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 209 


as a flash, Perk dropped into the hold, closing the 
hatch after him; and immediately afterward, almost 
before he had time to draw another breath, the 
cabin door opened, and the man came in. The 
frightened and excited boys crouched close under 
the hatch, afraid to move for fear of attracting his 
attention. They heard him move something across 
the floor of the galley and step upon it; and they 
knew by the first words he uttered that it was 
Pierre, and that he was taking an observation of 
the weather. 

‘“< Roll out there, lads, and turn to !’’ he exclaimed. 
“ By the time we get the yacht turned round, and 
the sails hoisted, it will be dark. We're going to 
have a cloudy, breezy night for our run, and that’s 
just what we want. Come, bullies, make a break, 
there.’’ 

The order was followed by a general movement 
in the cabin, and the boys, believing that the sound 
of the heavy footsteps overhead would drown ary 
noise they might make in moving about the hold, 
seized the opportunity to look up a place of con- 
cealment among the water-butts and_tool-chests. 
Walter’s first care, however, was to look, or rather 


feel for the lantern which he and his brother always 
14 


210 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


used when visiting the hold. It was found hanging 
in its accustomed place. With the solitary match 
he happened to have in his pocket he lighted the 
wick, and the first object that was revealed to him- 
self and companions was Bab, sitting with his hands 
tied behind him and his back against one of the 
water-butts. The prisoner, who, up to this time 
had believed that his visitors were some of the de- 
serters, was too amazed to speak. Indeed he did 
not try until Eugene and Perk had untied his 
hands, and given him each a hearty slap on the 
back by way of greeting. 

‘‘ All the merest accident in the world, my boy,” 
said Eugene. ‘‘ Such a thing never happened before 
and never will again. We never expected to see 
you on the yacht, either. Come up into this dark 
corner, and tell us what you know of the plans of 
these men. Hallo! what’s this?” 

While Eugene was speaking he was walking 
toward the after end of the hold. On the way he 
stumbled over something, which, upon examination, 
proved to be a long, narrow box, bearing upon its 
top a name and address: “ Don Casper NEVIS, 
Port Platte, Cuba.” , 

‘* How did that box come here?” asked Walter, 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 211 


*“T never saw it before. And what are in those - 
packages ?”’ he added, pointing to a couple of bales 
that lay near by. 

‘‘Here’s another box,’’ continued Eugene, ‘and 
it is so heavy I can scarcely move it. 'There’s some 
printing on it, too. Hold your lantern here.”’ 

- Walter did as his brother requested, and he and 
the rest, who crowded about the box and looked 
over Eugene’s shoulder, read the same name and 
address they had seen on the other box; and under- 
neath, in smaller print were the words: ‘‘ Percussion 
Cartridges.” 

‘* Now just listen to me a minute and I'll tell you 
what’s a fact,” said Perk. ‘ Here are the bullets— 
I don’t know how they came here, but they’re here 
—and if we only had the guns to throw them, we 
could clear the yacht’s deck of these interlopers in 
less time than it takes to tell it.”’ 

‘Well, I declare!” exclaimed Walter suddenly, 
and in tones indicative of great surprise. 

‘¢ Made any more discoveries?” asked Perk. 

‘‘T have,”’ replied the young captain, who by the 
aid of his lantern, was closely scrutinizing the long 
box. ‘‘ Here are the very things you are wishing 


212 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


for. Just listen to this: One dozen Spencer’s army 
carbines.” 

The boys could scarcely believe their ears; they 
wanted the evidence of their eyes to back it up. 
With a volley of ejaculations, which in their excite- 
ment they uttered in tones altogether too loud, they 
gathered about the box, looked at the words Walter 
had read to them, then rubbed their eyes and 
looked again. 

‘¢ Well, now I am beat,” said Bab. 

““T’d give something to know how these articles 
came here,’’ observed Walter, deeply perplexed. 

‘“Can it be possible that they were brought 
aboard by the deserters, who intend to start out on 
a@ piratical cruise on their own hook ?”’ asked Perk. 

“While the three boys were discussing the matter 
in this way, Eugene, who was the first to recover 
himself, took the lantern from his brother’s hand, 
and creeping forward to the carpenter’s chest, soon 
returned with a screw-driver. While one held the 
light, and the others looked on, he set to work upon 
the long box, and presently the lid was removed 
and the interior disclosed to view. There they 
vere, a half a dozen bran new breech-loaders, and 
under them were as many more of the same sort. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 918 


While Eugene was handing them out, Perk seized 
the screw-driver, and in five minutes more the cover 
of the ammunition box had been taken off, and four 
of the carbines were loaded and ready for use. 

** Now, then, lead on, Walter!” exclaimed Eugene, 
triumphantly. ‘“ One rush, and she’s ours. Won't 
those villians be surprised when they see the muzzles 
of four seven-shooters looking them squarely in 
the face? Why, fellows, they’ve got the yacht 
under sail already.”’ 

If Eugene had said that the Banner had left the 
creek behind, and was well on her way toward the 
entrance to the harbor, he would have been nearly 
right. — 


214 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


CHAPTER XIL 
THE BANNER UNDER FIRE. 


HILE Walter and his friends were engaged 

in unpacking the boxes containing the car- 
bines and ammunition, Pierre and his crew had been 
equally busy on deck. By the time they had turned 
the yacht around with her bow toward the mouth 
of the creek and hoisted the sails, it was pitch dark, 
and her captain determined to begin the voyage at 
once. The boys below were so intent upon their 
investigations, and so astonished at their discoveries, 
that they did not know that the yacht was in motion; 
but when she got out into the harbor where she felt 
the full force of the breeze, they speedily became 
aware of the fact, for the Banner, following her 
usual custom, rolled over until her front gunwale 
was almost level with the water, and Walter and his — 
companions slid down to the lee side of the hold 
as easily as if the floor had been ice, and they 


~ 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. AD 


mounted on skates. Shut out as they were from 
view of surrounding objects, and being beyond the 
reach of the voices of the men on deck, they were 
saved the anxiety and alarm they would have felt, 
had they known all that happened during the next 
half hour. They were in blissful ignorance of the 
fact that they were that night under fire for the 
first time in their lives, but such was the truth ; and 
this was the way it came about. 

Had Tomlinson and his men known all that 
Pierre knew, the voyage to Havana would never 
have been undertaken. The latter was well aware 
of the fact that more than one cargo of arms and 
ammunition had been smuggled into that very port 
for the use of the Cuban insurgents—he ought to 
have known it, for he belonged to the vessel engaged 
in the business—and he had also learned that the 
Stella was suspected, and that vigilant officers were 
keeping an eye on all her movements. He knew, 
further, that certain things had been done by Mr. 
Bell that afternoon, calculated to draw the attention 
of the Spanish officials, from the Stella to the 
Banner; that she would be closely watched; that 
she had been seen to cross the harbor and enter the 


creck ; that an attempt would be made to board and 


216 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


search her before she left the port; and that in 
case the attempt failed, a Spanish frigate was close 
at hand to pursue her, and the fort on the point 
was ready to open fire upon her. But knowing all 
these things as well as he did, he was willing to 
attempt to smuggle the Banner out of the harbor, 
for he was working for money. 

Hugging the shore as closely as the depth of the 
water would permit, the yacht sped on her way to- 
ward the point, the crew standing in silence at their 
posts, and Pierre himself handling the wheel. 
With the exception of the lamp in the binnacle, 
and the lantern in the hold which the boys were 
using, there was not a light about her, and no one 
spoke a word, not even in a whisper. But with all 
these precautions, the yacht did not leave the har- 
bor unobserved. Just as she arrived off the point 
on which the fort was situated, a light suddenly ap- 
peared in her course. It came from a dark lantern. 
The man who carried it was the same officer who 
had boarded the vessel in the morning, and who, 
for reasons of his own, had made the young sailors 
believe that he could not speak their language. He. 
was standing in the stern-sheets of a large yawl, 


which was filled with armed men, ready to board 


THE SPORTSMAN’S SLUB AFLOAT. ITT 


the yacht, when she came to, in obedience to his 
haikiaciene ; 


99 


“Banner ahoy!’’ yelled the officer, in as plain 


English as Walter himself could have commanded. 


? 


‘There they are, cap’n,’’ whispered Tomlinson, 
who had been stationed in the bow to act as look- 
out. ‘A cutter, and a dozen men inher. Are you 
going to answer the hail ?” 

‘“‘ Leave all that to me. Come here and take the 
wheel, and hold her just as she is,” said Pierre; 
and when Tomlinson obeyed the order, the new 
captain hurried to the rail, and looked toward the 
yawl. 


99 


‘Banner ahoy!” shouted the officer again, as the 
schooner flew past his boat. 

“Yaw! Vat you want?” answered Pierre, imi- 
tating as nearly as he could the broken English of 
a German. 

‘‘ Lie to!’ commanded the officer. 

‘‘'Vas ?” yelled Pierre. 

“Tie to, I say. I want to come aboard of 


99 


you. 


“¢ Nix forstay !” 
“That won’t go down, my friend; I know you,” 


said the officer, angrily. ‘Give away, strong,” he 


are 4 


ae 


218 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


added, addressing himself to his crew. ‘“‘ You had 
better stop and let me come aboard.” 

Pierre seemed very anxious to understand. He 
moved aft as the Banner went on, leaving the boat 
behind, and even leaned as far as he could over 
the taffrail, and placed his hand behind his ear 
as if trying to catch the officer’s words. But 
he did not stop; he knew better. The boat fol- 
lowed the yacht a short distance, and then turned 
and went swiftly toward the point, the officer waving 
his lantern in air as if making signals to some one. 
When Pierre saw that, he knew there were exciting 
times ahead. 

‘*Give me the wheel, now,’’ said he; “and do 
you go for’ard and heave the lead until I tell you to 
stop. Station a man in the waist to pass the word, 
and tell him not to speak too loud. Tell two others 
to stand by the sheets, and send Bob aloft to unfurl 
the topsails. We have need of all the rags we can 
spread now.” 

‘What's up?’ asked Tomlinson, with some 
anxiety. | 

“There'll be a good deal up if we don’t get away 
from here in a hurry,” replied Pierre; “more than _ 
you think for. But if you do as I tell you, I will wre 


THE SPORTSMAN § CLUB AFLOAT. 219 


bring you through all right. That fort will open 
on us in less than five minutes, and if that don’t 
stop us, we'll have to run a race with a man 0’ 
war.” 

Tomlinson waited to hear no more. Resigning 
the wheel into Pierre’s hands, he ran forward, and 
the latter, as soon as the men had been stationed 
at the fore and main sheets, changed the yacht’s 
course, heading her across a bar at the entrance 
to the harbor, and standing close along shore. 
The wisdom of this manceuvre was very soon made 
apparent. In less than ten minutes afterward, there 
was a bright flash behind them, accompanied by ~ 
a shrieking sound in the air, and a twelve pound 
shell went skipping along the waves and burst far 
in advance of the yacht. Had she been in the chan- 
nel, which vessels of large size were obliged to fol- 
low in going in and out of the harbor, she would 
have been directly in range of it. Another and 
another followed, and finally every gun on the sea- 
ward side of the fort was sending its missiles in the 
direction the Banner was supposed to have gone. 
The deserters looked and listened in amazement ; 
but finding that they were out of reach of the 


shells, their alarm began to abate. 


= 


220 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


“Now, this is like old times,’’ exclaimed Bob, 
placing his left hand behind his back, extending his 
right, and glancing along the yacht’s rail, in the 
attitude of the captain of a gun when about to pull 
the lock-string. ‘‘ Don’t I wish this craft was the 
old Indianola, as good as she was the day she ran 
the batteries at Vicksburg, and I had one of those 
eleven-inch guns under my eye, loaded with a five- 
second shell ?”’ 

‘You'll wish for her many a time to-night, for 
the fun isn’t over yet,’ observed Pierre. “It is 
only just beginning. Now keep silence, fore and 
aft, so that [ can hear what Tom has to say about 
the water.” 

For an hour Tomlinson kept heaving the lead, 
passing the word back to Pierre with every throw, 


-and all this while the Banner, with every inch of 


her canvas spread, bounded along as close to the 


shore as her captain dared to gO. For fifteen 


“minutes of this time the fort continued to: send its 


shots and shells along the channel, and tlien the firing 
ceased and all was still again. Pierre kept close 
watch of the shore as the yacht flew along, and 
finally turning into a little bay, sailed up within 


sight of a stone jetty that put out from the shore, 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. Pili § 


and came to anchor. This was Don Casper’s wharf. 
Pierre knew it, for he had often been there; and he 
knew too that a short distance away, among the ne- 
gro quarters, was a storehouse containing an abun- 
dance of corn-meal, flour and bacon. This was the 
place to secure the provisions. 

‘“‘There!”’ exclaimed the captain, as the Banner 
swung around with her head to the waves, “ we're 
so far on our way to Havana, and we haven’t been 
long getting here, either. Now we've no time to 
lose. Who’s the best swimmer in the party ?” 

“Tam,” said Tomlinson confidently. 

‘Well, then, come here. Do you see that wharf 
out there, and the yawls lying alongside of it? 
Just swim out and bring one of ’em back, and we'll 
go ashore and get the grub. Be in a hurry, for we 
want to get our business done and put to sea again 
before that man-o’-war comes up and blockades us.”’ 

Tomlinson at once divested himself of his pea- 
jacket, overshirt and shoes, and plunging fearlessly 
into the waves made his way to the shore. While 
there, notwithstanding Pierre’s suggestion that haste 
was desirable, he took it into his head to reconnoitre 
the plantation. He found the storehouse, and saw 
the overseer-—the same man who liberated Chase 


229 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


and Wilson from the wine-cellar—serving out pro- 
visions to the negroes. After noting the position 
of the building, so that he could easily find it again, 
he secured one of the yawls, hoisted a sail in it, and 
returning to the yacht brought off his companions. 
Pierre knowing more than the deserters, and be- 
lieving that it might not be quite safe to trust him- 
self too far away from the yacht, remained at the 
wharf, while Tomlinson and the rest of the deserters, 
armed with handspikes which they had brought from 
the vessel, went to the storehouse after the pro- 
Visions. 

And what were the boys in the hold doing all this 
while? They would not have believed that a full 
hour and a half had elapsed since they discovered 
and liberated Bab, for they were busy and the time 
flew quickly by. In the first place, each boy 
crammed his pockets full of cartridges and took 
possession of one of the carbines, and the rest were 
carefully hidden among the ballast, for fear that 
they might by some accident fall into the hands of 
the deserters. When this had been done, Eugene, 
with his usual impetuosity and lack of prudence, 
began fo urge an immediate attack upon the captors 
of the yacht; but Walter and Perk thought it best 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 993 


to adhere to the original plan, and keep themselves 
concealed until the yacht was well out to sea, or, at 
all events, until she was clear of the harbor. They 
argued that when the attack was made it would 
produce something of a commotion on deck, which 
might attract the attention of the crews of some of 
the neighboring vessels, and perhaps of the Spanish 
officials ; and, although the Banner was their own 
property, and they had as good a right in Cuba as 
any of their countrymen, they did not wish to be 
called upon to make any explanations. Bab sided 
with Walter and Perk, and Eugene was obliged to 
yield. It was well that he did not carry his point, 
for had the lawful captain of the yacht been in 
command when she was hailed by the revenue officer, 
he would have obeyed the order to lie to, and he 
and his crew would have been carried back to town 
and thrown into jail as smugglers. The officer 
would have found proof against them too; and such 
proof as Walter knew nothing about. 

It being decided at last that Walter’s plan was 
the best, the boys, in order to gratify their curtosity, 
proceeded to examine the contents of the bales they 
had found in the hold. ~ The first contained artillery 
sabres, and Eugene buckled oné about his waist; 


924 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


but the others declined to follow his example, be- 
lieving that the carbines were all the weapons they 
needed. ‘The other two packages contained officers’ 
sashes, one of which Eugene also appropriated. 
While thus engaged they heard the roar of the guns 
from the fort, but they little dreamed that they 
were pointed in the direction the yacht was supposed 
to have gone. Shut in as they were on all sides by 
tight wooden walls, the sound seemed to them to 
come from a great distance. They accounted for 
the firing in various ways—the soldiers were re- 
joicing over some decisive victory the Spaniards 
had gained over the insurgents; or they were en- 
gaged in artillery practice; or perhaps a skirmish 
was going on back of the town. So little interested 
were they in the matter, that, after the first few 
shots, they ceased to pay any attention to the noise. 
They had their own affairs to think and talk about: 
what could have become of Chase and Wilson— 
they had searched the hold without finding any 
traces of them—and who had brought the arms and 
ammunition aboard? Where had Fred Craven and 
his keepers gone so suddenly ? and what should be 
done with the unlawful crew of the yacht after they 
had been secured? By the time these points had 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 995 


been talked over, the Banner had accomplished the 
ten miles that lay between the harbor and the bay 
at the rear of Don Casper’s plantation, and then 
Walter declared that Pierre and Tomlinson had had 
charge of the vessel long enough, and that it was 
time he was claiming his rights again. The boys 
were ready to move at the word. It was a novel 
and perhaps desperate thing they were about to 
undertake, but not one of them hesitated. Grasp- 
ing their weapons with a firmer hold, they followed 
closely after Walter, and gathered silently about 
him as he stopped under the hatch. 

“Are we all ready?” asked the young com- 
mander, in an excited whisper. ‘I will throw off 
the hatch, and, Bab, be sure you are ready to hand 
me my carbine the moment I jump out. If any 
of the deserters hear the noise and come into the 
galley to see what is going on, I will keep them at 
bay until you come up. If we find them on deck, 
let each fellow pick out a man, cover him with his 
gun, and order him into the hold.” 

“Yes, and see that he goes, too,’ added Eugene. 

“Perk, blow out that lantern. Stand by, fel- 
lows!” 

The boys crouched like so many tigers ready for 

15 


2°26 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


a spring; but just as Walter placed his hands upon 
the hatch, preparatory to throwing it off, a few 
harshly spoken words of command came faintly to 
their ears, followed by the rattling of the chain 
through the hawse hole, and a sudden cessation of 
motion, telling the young sailors that the yacht had 
come to anchor. This caused Walter to hesitate ; 
and after a few whispered words with his compan- 
ions, they all sat down on the floor of the hold 
under the hatch to await developments. But no- 
thing new transpired. The yacht was as silent as 
the grave; and after half an hour of inactivity, 
the patience of the young tars was all exhausted, 
and once more preparations were made for the 
attack. Walter handed his carbine to Bab, and 
lifting the hatch quickly, but noiselessly, from its 
place, swung himself out of the hold into the gal- 
ley. The others followed with all possible haste, 
and when the last one had come out, Walter pushed 
open: the door of the cabin and rushed in. The 
room was empty. Without a moment’s pause, he 
ran toward the standing room, and when he got 
there, found himself in undisputed possession of his 
vessel, no one being on deck to oppose him. The 
yacht was deserted by all save himself and com- 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. pag 


panions. The young tars, scarcely able to realize 
the fact, hurried about, peeping into all sorts of 
improbable places, and when at last they had satis- 
fied themselves that the deserters were really gone, 
their joy knew no bounds. 

“Tt’s all right, fellows!” cried Walter, gleefully. 
‘* She’s ours, and we’ve got her without a fight, too. 
I have some curiosity to know where those men 
have gone, but we’ll not stop to inquire. Stand by 
to get under way.” 

‘Shall I slip the cable?” asked Eugene. 

“No,” answered Walter. ‘‘I can’t see the 
beauty of throwing away a good chain and anchor 
when there’s no occasion for it. lLet’s man the 
capstan.” 

While two of the crew busied themselves in re- 
moving the chain from the bitts to the little hori- 
zontal capstan with which the yacht was provided, 
the others brought the handspikes from their places, 
and presently the schooner began walking slowly 
up to her anchor. The boys worked manfully, and 
presently Eugene looked over the bow and an- 
nounced that the anchor was apeak. 

‘“¢ Go to the wheel, Perk,” said Walter. ‘‘ Heave 
away, the rest of us. Cheerily, lads” 





228 THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 


Perk at once hurried aft, but just as he laid his 
hand on the wheel he stopped short, gazed intently 
over the stern toward the shore, and then quietly 
made his way forward again. ‘‘ Now I'll tell you 
what’s a fact,’’ he whispered ; ‘‘ you'd better work 
that capstan a little livelier, for they're coming.” 

“ Who are coming ?” asked all the boys at once. | 

** Well, there’s a yawl close aboard of us, and if 
you can tell who is in it, you will do more than I 
can.” | 

The young sailors looked in the direction Perk 
pointed, and saw a sailboat swiftly approaching the 
yacht. ‘To heave the anchor clear of the ground 
and get under way before she came alongside, was 
impossible, for she was already within a few rods of 
the vessel. 

‘* Stand by to keep them off,” said Walter, catch- 
ing up his carbine. ‘ We don’t want to hurt any 
of them if we can help it, but bear in mind that 
they must not, under any circumstances, be allowed 
to come over the side.”’ 

The boys, with their weapons in their hands, hur- 
ried to the rail, and Walter was on the point of | 
hailing the boat, and warning the deserters that any 
attempt to board the yacht would be stubbornly re- 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 2295 


sisted, when he discovered that she had but one oc- 
cupant. The others became aware of the fact at 
the same moment, and Eugene declared that it was 
none other than Pierre Coulte. ‘Let him come 
aboard, fellows,’ he added, “and we'll make -him 
tell where Featherweight went to-day in such a 
hurry. We may learn something to our advan- 
tage.” 

Before his companions had time either to consent 
to, or reject this proposition, the yawl rounded to 
under the bow of the Banner, and a head appeared 
above the rail. The boys crouched close to the 
deck, and in a few seconds more a human figure 
leaped into view, and after looking all about the 
yacht, ran toward the capstan. On his way he 
passed within reach of Walter, who thrust out both 
his sinewy arms, and wrapping them about the in- 
truder’s legs, prostrated him in an instant. No 
sooner had he touched the deck than Perk, who was 
always on the alert, threw himself across the man’s 
shoulders, and seizing both his hands, held them 
fast. 

The stranger lay for an instant overcome witb 
surprise at this unexpected reception, and then be 
gan to show his disapproval by the most frantic 


930 -THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


struggles; and although he was firmly held, he gave 
evidence of possessing uncommon strength and de- 
termination. But it was not Pierre they had got 
hold of, as they quickly discovered. There was 
something about him that reminded them of some- 
body else. Perk, at least, thought so, for he bent 
his head nearer to the stranger’s, remarking as he 
did so: 

“ Now I'll tell you what’s a fact—”’ 

When he had said this much he paused, and 
started as if he had been shot, for a familiar voice 
interrupted him with— 

“T say, Perk, if that’s you, you needn’t squeeze 
all the breath out of me.”’ 

‘Wilson!’ cried the crew of the Banner, in 
concert. 

Perk jumped to his feet, pulling the prisoner up 
with him. It was Wilson and no mistake. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 231 


CHAPTER XIII. 
THE SPANISH FRIGATE. 


Hew came you here?” was of course the first 


question the Club addressed to the new- 
comer, as soon as they had made sure of his 
identity. 

“T came in that boat,” replied Wilson, who was 
quite as much surprised to see his friends as they 
were to see him. ‘But how did you come here? 
I heard Tomlinson say that he and his crowd had 
stolen the Banner.”’ 

‘“‘So they did; but they stole us with her, for we 
were hidden in the hold. What we want to know 
is, how you happen to be out here in the country. 
We left you and Chase to watch the yacht.” 

“Tt is a long story, fellows, and I will tell it to — 
you the first chance I get. But just how we have 
something else to think of. There comes Pierre,” 
said Wilson, pointing over the stern. ‘‘ He is after 


9382 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


me. Tomlinson and the rest are ashore stealing 
some provisions.” 

“Does Pierre know where Featherweight 1s ?”’ 
asked Eugene. 

““T should’nt wonder. He seems to be pretty 
well acquainted with Mr. Bell’s plans.” 

‘Then we will see if we can make him tell them 
to us,” said Walter. ‘ Hugene, go down and get a 
lantern; and the rest of us stand by to receive our 
visitor with all the honors.” 

“Why, where did you get this?’ asked Wilson, 
as Eugene placed his carbine in his hands. 

“¢<Thereby hangs a tale ;’ but you shall hear it 
in due time.” 

‘Here he is, fellows,’’ whispered Walter. “ Keep 
out of sight until he comes over the side.” : 

Pierre was by this time close aboard of the schoon- 
er. He came up under her stern, and sprang over 
the rail with the yawl’s painter in his hand. “JI 
told you that you shouldn’t go off in this vessel,” 
said he, looking about the deck in search of Wilson. 
‘You needn’t think to hide from me, for Iam bound 
to find you. You will save yourself some rough 
handling by getting into this yaw] and going straight 
back to shore. We don’t want you here.” 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. Paes 


‘But we want you,” exclaimed Walter, starting 
up close at Pierre’s side and presenting his carbine 
full in his face. 

The others jumped from their concealments, and 
at the same moment Hugene opened the door of the 
cabin and came out into the standing-room with a 
lighted Jantern in his hand. For a few seconds the 
smuggler was so completely blinded by the glare of the 
bull’s-eye, which Eugene turned full upon him, that 
he could not distinguish even the nearest objects ; 
but presently his eyes became somewhat accustomed 
to the light, and he was able to take a view of his 
surroundings. He was much astonished at what he 
saw. There stood Wilson, whom he had expected 
to drag from some concealment, looking very unlike 
the cringing, supplicating youth he had met on the 
jetty. And he was not alone either, for with him 
were the boys whom he believed he had left ten 
miles behind him, and also Bab, whom he had last 
seen bound and helpless in the hold. They were all 
armed too, and were holding their cocked guns in 
most unpleasant proximity to his face. 

* Well, if you have anything to say for yourself 
let’s have it,’ said Wilson, breaking the silence at 


234 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


last. ‘‘ You'll let me go off in this vessel after all, 
won't you? There’s a good fellow.” 

Pierre had not a word tosay. He seemed to be 
overcome with bewilderment and alarm. He did 
not even remonstrate, when Eugene, after placing 
his lantern on the deck, stepped up, and passing 
a rope around his arms confined them behind his 
back. When the operation of tying him was com- 
pleted, he seemed to arouse himself as if from a 
sound sleep, and to realize for the first time that he 
was a prisoner; but then it was too late to resist 
even if he had the inclination. The knowledge of 
this fact did not, however, appear to occasion him 
any uneasiness. As soon as the first tremor, caused 
by the sight of the cocked weapons, passed away, 
he began to recover his courage. 

‘“‘There,’’ said KEugene, taking another round 
turn with the rope, “I think that will hold you. 
Didn’t I tell you that you would never get far away 
with the yacht? You’re fast enough now.” 

‘But Pll not be so long,” replied Pierre, with a 
grin. ‘*'There’s a man-of-war coming, if you only 
knew it, and she'll be along directly.” 

‘Well, what of it?” 


‘Nothing much, only she will take you and your 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. woo 


vessel, and set me at liberty; that’s all. She is 
looking for you.”’ 

“She is? We don’t care. We've done nothing 
to make us afraid of her.” 

“You'd better be afraid of her,” replied Pierre, 
significantly. ‘‘ You've got no papers.” 

‘¢ Yes, [ have,” interrupted Walter. 

‘¢ How does that come ?”’ asked Pierre, in a tone 
of voice that was aggravating to the last. degree. 
“Did you clear from Port Platte ?” 

** No, because we didn’t get the chance. -You 
stole the vessel and run away with her. But I can 
show that we cleared from Bellville.” 

‘No, you can’t. And, more than that, you’ve 
got guns and ammunition aboard intended for the 
use of the Cubans.” 

Pierre paused when he said this, and looked at 
the boys asif he expected them to be very much as- 
tonished; and they certainly were. They knew 
now where the carbines came from, and why they 
had been placed in the hold, and their words and 
actions indicated that if the guilty party had been 
within their reach just then, he would have fared 
roughly indeed. Walter was the only one who had 
nothing to say. He stood for a moment as mute 


236 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


and motionless as if he had been turned into stone, 
and then catching up the lantern, rushed into his 
cabin. He opened his desk, and with nervous haste 
began to overhaul the papers it contained. 

““Q, you'll not find them there,” said Pierre, 
“‘they’re gone—torn up, and scattered about the 
harbor.” 

‘‘What’s the matter, Walter?’ asked all the 
boys at once. 

“Our papers are gone, that’s all,” replied the 
young captain, calmly. ‘Some one has _ stolen 
them. Now, Pierre,” he added, paying no heed to 
the exclamations of rage and astonishment that 
arose on all sides, ‘“‘I want you to tell me what has 
been going on on board my vessel this afternoon.”’ 

‘“‘ Well, I don’t mind obliging you,” answered the 
smuggler, “seeing that it is too late for you to 
repair the damage, and, in order to make you un- 
derstand it, I must begin at the beginning. You 
see, although we cleared from Bellville for Havana, 
we did not intend to go there at all. This very bay 
is the point we were bound for, but it is an ugly 
place in a gale, and so we put into Port Platte to 
wait until the wind and sea went down, so that we 


could land our cargo. Perhaps you don’t know it, 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. yay | 


but the Stella is loaded with just such weapcns as 
these you've got.”’ 

‘‘T don’t doubt it,’ said Walter, “but why did 
you bring some of them aboard this vessel ?” 

‘¢T’ll come to that directly. When you set out 
in pursuit of us, after we left Lost Island, we knew 
that you must have found Chase, and that he had 
told you the whole story ; but we didn’t feel at all 
uneasy, for we believed that when we once lost sight 
of you we should never see you again. As bad luck 
would have it, however, the storm blew you right 
into Port Platte, and of course you found us there. 
When we saw you come in we knew what you 
wanted to do, and set our wits at work to get the 
start of you, and I rather think we've done it. We 
laid half a dozen plans, believing that if one failed 
another would be sure to work. In the first place 
Mr. Bell directed the attention of the custom-house 
officers to you and your vessel. He is well ac- 
quainted with them all, you know, and he has fooled 
them more than once, as nicely as he fooled the 
captain of that cutter at Lost Island. He told 
them that you were the fellows who were smuggling 
all the arms into this country for the use of the 
rebels; that you had intended to land somewhere 


238 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


on the coast, but had been compelled by the gale to ~ 
come into the harbor, and that you would probably 
go out again as soon as the wind died away. Hay- 
ing excited the officers’ suspicions, the next thing 
was to do something to back them up; and we 
thought the best way would be to smuggle some 
weapons aboard the Banner. But in order to do it 
we had to work some plan to get you away from the 
yacht, so that we could have a clear field for our 
operations. Mr. Bell and Captain Conway took 
Fred Craven up the hill in plain sight of you, and, 
as we expected, some of you followed him. Then 
the mate found one of Don Casper’s niggers on the 
wharf, and used him to help his plans along. He 
wrote a. note to Chase, and signed Walter’s name 


to it.” 
“¢ Aha!” interrupted Wilson. ‘I begin to see 


into things a little. But how did Mr. Bell know 
that Chase was left in command of the yacht?” 
‘He didn’t know it—he only guessed it from 
seeing him so active in setting things to rights.” 
“Don Casper,” repeated Perk. ‘His name is 
on those boxes in the hold. Who is he?” | 
‘‘ He’s the man to whom we deliver our weapons, 
and he sends them to the rebels. As I was saying, 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 239 


Mr. Bell wrote this note to Chase, asking him to 
bring all the crew of the vessel to assist in releas- 
ing Fred, and another to Don Casper, and hired the 
darkey to deliver them and take the boys out to the 
Don’s in his wagon. But when the mate, who had 
the management of the affair, reached the yacht, he 
found that Tomlinson and his crowd, whom he sup- 
posed to be visitors from some neighboring vessel, 
were a part of the crew, and of course he had to 
get rid of them in some way; so he invited them 
down to the Stella to get breakfast. Then ' e went 
back, gave the negro the notes, and he took Chase 
and Wilson out to Don Casper’s. After that, the 
mate returned to the yacht, and taking some arms 


and ammunition, stowed them away on board the 


at 


yacht, and wound up by stealing your clearance 
papers, which Mr. Bell destroyed.” 

‘And much good may the act. do him,” ex- 
claimed Eugene, angrily. 

‘¢ All’s fair in war,’’ replied Pierre. ‘ You came 
here to get us into trouble, and of course if we 
could beat you at your own game, we had a perfect 
right to do it.” ; 

“No, you hadn’t,” retorted Wilson. ‘ We were 
engaged in lawful business, and you were not.” : 


240 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT 


“*No matter; we make our living by it. As time 
passed, and you did not come back and sail out so 
that the officers could board you—” 

‘“‘ But. why were you so very anxious to have us go 
out?’ asked Walter. ‘‘ Simply because you wanted 
us captured ?”’ 

““ Well—no; we had something else in view. 
You see, we were in agreat hurry to go up to the 
Don’s and land our weapons, but we had a suspicion 
that some sharp eyes were watching us and our 
vessel. Mr. Bell knew by the way the officers 
acted, that they hadn’t quite made up their minds 
which vessel it was that was carrying the contra- 
band goods—The Stella or the Banner. They 
didn’t like to search us, for they didn’t want to 
believe anything wrong of Mr. Bell—they had 
known him so long and were such good friends of 
his ; just like the captain of that cutter, you know. 
But yet they couldn't believe that your yacht was 
the smuggler, for she didn’t look like one. We 
wanted the officers to find the arms on board your 
vessel; and until that event happened, we were 
afraid to ask for a clearance—that’s the plain 
English of it. Well, as you didn’t come back and 
take the yacht out, and Mr. Bell was very anxious 


THE SPORTSMAN S CLUB AFLOAT. 241 


that she should go, he thought it best to change his 
plans a little. Learning that Tomlinson and his 
friends had come to Cuba to ship aboard a privateer, 
he hired me to join in with them and steal the 
Banner. He told me that it would be a ‘desperate 
undertaking, for the officers were all eyes and ears, 
the fort was ready to open fire on the yacht if she 
tried to slip out, and if that didn’t stop her, a frigate 
was near by to capture her. But he offered me a 
hundred dollars to do the job, and I agreed to 
smuggle her out. I did it, too. The fort fired 
more than fifty shots after us—”’ 

“Tt did!” ejaculated Eugene. 

“Were those guns we heard pointed at my vessel 
—at us ?”’ demanded Walter, in a trembling voice. 

‘Not exactly at us, but in the direction we were 
supposed to have gone. I brought her through all 
right, however, and I can take her safely away from 
under the very guns of the frigate; but you can’t 
do it, and I am glad of —” 

“Take this man into the hold and shut him up 
there!’ cried Walter, almost beside himself, with 
indignation and alarm. “I don’t want to hear 
another word from him.”’ 

“‘Q, you needn’t mind those things,” said Pierre, 

16 


#2 


D242 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


as Perk and Bab picked up their carbines. “I am 
willing to go, but I shan’t stay there long. You 
are as good as captured by that frigate already.” 

‘Take him away !’’ shouted Walter. ‘‘ Stay here, 
Perk, I want to talk to you.” 

The young captain began nervously pacing the 
deck, while the other boys marched their prisoner 
through the cabin into the galley, and assisted him 
rather roughly into the hold. They placed him with 
his back against one of the water-butts, and while 
Eugene was looking for a rope with which to confine 
his feet, Wilson began to question him: ‘Since 
you have shown yourself so obliging,” said he, 
‘perhaps you won’t mind telling me what was in 
the note that darkey gave to Don Casper.” | 

*¢There wasn’t much,” was the reply. ‘It was 
written by Captain Conway, who told the Don that 
the bearers were members of his crew, and that he 
had sent them out there to make arrangements with 
him about landing our cargo of arms.” 

“Well, go on. You said you sent Chase and 
me to the Don’s, on purpose to have us captured by 


the Spaniards.” 


“We thought that perhaps we might get rid of 


e« you in that way. We know that the Don is sus: 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 243 


pected, and we believe that if strangers, and Ameri- 
cans too, were seen going there in the daytime, 
they would get themselves into trouble.” 

*“‘ We came very near it,” said the boy, drawing 
a long breath when he thought of all that had passed 
at the plantation, ‘‘ but the Don took care of us.” 

“Tell us all about it, Wilson,’ said Eugene, 
coming aft with the rope at this moment. ‘“‘ By the 
way, where is Chase? I haven’t seen anything of 
him.” 

Wilson replied that he hadn’t seen him either 
very recently. He hoped that he was all right, but 
he feared the worst, for he was still ashore, and 
might fall into the hands of the Spaniards. And 
then he went on to relate, in a few hurried words, 
the adventures that had befallen him since he left 
the yacht at the wharf, to all of which Pierre listened 
attentively, now and then manifesting his satisfac- 
tion by broad grins. There were two things he 
could not understand, Wilson said, in conclusion: 
one was, how the Don escaped being made a prisoner 
when the patrol surrounded the house, and the other, 
where Chase went in such a hurry. In regard to 
the missing boy we will here remark, that none of 


our young friends knew what had become of him* 


244 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


until several months afterward, and then they met 
him very unexpectedly, and in a place where they 
least imagined they would see him. The mystery 
of the Don’s escape was no mystery after all. When 
he locked the boys in their place of concealment, 
he made his exit from the house through one of the 
cellar windows, and hid himself in a thicket of ever- 
greens beside the back verandah. Watching his 
opportunity when the soldiers were busy searching 
the building, he crept quietly away and took refuge 
in one of the negro cabins. He kept a sharp eye 
on the movements of the patrol, and saw that those 
who left the house took several riderless horses with 
them. This made it evident that some of their 
number were still on the premises, and that they 
had remained to arrest the Don when he came back. 
But of course he did not go back. As soon as it 
grew dark his overseer brought him his cloak and 
weapons, and then returning to the house, succeeded 
in releasing the boys, as we have described. 

‘‘ Now, Pierre, there’s another thing that perhaps 
you wouldn’t object to explaining,” said Eugene, 
when he had finished tying the prisoner’s feet. 
“ Didn’t Mr. Bell know that you and your father 
took Chase to Lost Island in a dugout?” 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 246 


‘Of course he did.” 

‘¢ What did you do with the pirogue?” 

‘¢We.chopped her up and put her into the fire. 
That’s the reason you couldn’t find her.” 

“‘ How did you get aboard the Stella? We didn't 
see you, and we watched her all the time.”’ 

‘“Not all the time, I guess. There were a few 
minutes while you. were searching The Kitchen 
that you didn’t have your eyes on her, and during 
that time pap and me came out of the bushes and 
boarded her. Mr. Bell knew very well that if you: 
could have your own way you would get him into a 
scrape, and so he put a bold face on the matter, 
and bluffed you square down.”’ 

While the boys were asking one another if there 
were any other points they wanted Pierre to ex- 
plain, they heard a voice calling to them through 
the hatchway. It was Perk’s voice; and when 
they answered his summons, they were surprised to 
see that his face was pale with excitement, and that 
he was trembling in every limb. ‘ Hurry up, fel- 
lows,’’ he whispered. ‘‘ She’s coming.” 

pe Wino is f:.’ 

‘The frigate. We can see her lights. Walter 


246 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


is going to give her the slip if he can, and go back 
to the village.”’ 

“ Aha!’’ exclaimed Pierre who caught the words. 
‘What did I tell you? It will do you no good te 
go to town, for Mr. Bell will be on Land with proof 
to back up all his charges.” 

Without waiting to hear what Pierre had to say, 
the boys sprang out of the hold, slamming the 
hatch after them. Walter met them in the stand- 
ing room, and issued his orders with a calmness 
that surprised them. He sent Bab to the wheel, 
and with the others went to work to cat and fish 
the anchor, which, with a few turns of the capstan 
was heaved clear of the ground. As busy as they 
were, they found time now and then to cast their 
eyes toward the Gulf. There were the lights that 
had excited Walter’s alarm, in plain sight; and the 
fact that they stood high above the water, and that 
the waves communicated but little motion to them, 
was conclusive evidence that they were suspended 
from the catheads of some large and heavy vessel. 
Beyond a doubt, the approaching craft was the 
iron-clad frigate they had seen in the harbor of 
Port Platte. 

Never before had our heroes been placed in a — 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. QAT 


situation like this. Conscious that they hal done 
nothing wrong, they felt that they were playing the 
part of cowards, and disgracing themselves by run- 
ning away from the frigate, instead of boldly ad- 
vancing to meet her. But the young captain, and 
his counsellor, Perk, did not know what else to do. 
Had the crew of the man-of-war been composed of 
his own countrymen, or had they been even honor- 
able people, who would accord to him the treatment 
that civilized belligerents usually extend to their 
prisoners, the case would have been different. In 
spite of the evidence against him, Walter, feeling 
strong in his innocence, would fearlessly have sur- 
rendered himself and vessel; but he was afraid of 
the Spaniards, and he had good reason to be. They 
were so vindictive, cruel and unreasonable. Men 
who could deliberately shoot down a party of young 
students, for no other offence than defacing a monu-. 
ment, were not to be trusted. The longer Walter 
pondered the matter, the more alarmed he became. 

“All gone, Bab,” he exclaimed, as the anchor 
was pulled clear of the ground and the Banner bhe- 
gan to drift toward the beach, ‘fill away, and get 
all you can out of her. Heave that lead, Eugene, 
and use it lively, for I don’t know how much water 


948 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


there is here, and we must keep as close to the shore 
as we possibly can.” 

By the time the anchor was taken care of, the 
Banner was flying along the beach through dark- 
ness so intense that the anxious young captain, who 
perched himself upon the bow to act as lookout, 
could scarcely see a vessel’s length ahead of him. 
There was now one question that was uppermost in 
his mind, and it was one to which time only could 
furnish a solution: Was the entrance to the bay 
wide or narrow? Upon this their safety depended. 
If they could get so far away from the frigate that 
they could slip by her in the darkness unperceived, 
their escape could be easily accomplished; but if 
they were obliged to pass within reach of the sharp 
eyes of her crew, their capture was certain. With 
his feelings worked up to the highest pitch of ex- 
citement, but to all outward appearances as calm as 
a summer morning, Walter awaited the issue. 

The Banner bounded along as silently as if she 
lad been a phantom yacht. She seemed to know 
the desperate situation of her crew. Every inch of 
the canvas was spread, the top-masts bent like fish- 
ing-rods under the weight of the heavy sails, and 


Bab now and then cast an anxious eye aloft, mo- 





























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































THE ‘‘ BANNER.” 











THE SPURTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 249 


mentarily expecting to see one of them give away 
under the unusual strain. But every rope held as 
if additional strength had been imparted to it. Not 
a block creaked; the tiller-rope, which usually 
groaned so loudly, gave out no sound as Bab moved 
the wheel back and forth; and even the water which 
boiled up under the bows, and now and then came 
on deck by buckets-full, gave out a faint, gurgling 
sound, as if it too sympathized with the boy crew. 
Ten minutes passed, and then Walter, who was 
watching the lights through his night-glass, stooped 
and whispered a few words to Wilson. The latter 
hurried aft and repeated them to Bab, and a moment 
later the yacht came up into the wind and lay like 
a log on the waves, drifting stern foremost toward 
the beach. The lights were scarcely a hundred 
yards distant. Nearer and nearer they came, and 
presently a high, black hull loomed up through the 
darkness, and moved swiftly past the yacht into the 
the bay. The young sailors held their breath in 
suspense, some closely watching the huge mass, 
which seemed almost on the point of running them 
down, others turning away their heads that they 
might not see it, and all listening for the hail from 
her deck which should announce their discovery. 


250 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


But the frigate was as silent as if she had been de- 
serted. She was not more than a minute in passing 
the yacht, and then she faded out of sight as quickly 
as she had come into view. Her captain did not 
expect to find the smuggler in the Gulf, but in the 
bay, and in the act of discharging her contraband 
cargo; and to this alone the Banner owed her 
escape. 

As soon as the frigate was out of sight, Wilson 
carried another whispered order to Bab, and once 
more the Banner went bounding along the shore. 
It may have been all imagination on the part of her 
crew, and it doubtless was, but every one of them 
was ready to declare that she moved as if she felt 

easier after her narrow escape. The blocks creaked, 
the tiller-rope groaned as usual, the masts cracked 
and snapped, and the water under the bow roared 
and foamed like a miniature Niagara. Her com- 
pany, one and all, breathed as if a mountain had 
been removed from their shoulders, but there were 
no signs of exultation among them. ‘Their danger 
had been too great for that. 

‘¢ Now just listen to me a minute, and I'll tell you” 
what's a fact,’ said Perk, who was the first to find 
his tongue. ‘If you were a smuggler, Walter, you 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 251 


soon get up a reputation, and you would bother 
the custom-house fellows more than Captain Con- 
way ever did. He couldn’t do a neater trick than 
that, if he is an old—”’ 

Crack ! went something over their heads, with a 
report like that of a pistol, bringing Perk’s con- 
gratulations to a sudden close, and startling every 
boy who heard it. Before they had time to look 
aloft there was another crash, and the main-top- 
mast, with the sail attached, fell over to leeward, 
and flapped wildly in the wind. The backstay had 
parted, and of course the mast went by the board. 

‘Thank goodness! it held until we were out of 
danger,” said Walter, as soon as he had made him- 
self acquainted with the nature of the accident. 
** A crash like that, when the frigate was alongside, 
would have settled matters for us in a hurry.”’ 

Perk and Wilson at once went aloft to clear away 
the wreck, and Walter, being left to himself, began 
thoughtfully pacing the deck. Now that all danger 
from the frigate was passed, he had leisure to ponder 
upon that which was yet to come. What would be 
done with him and his companions when they gave 
themselves up to the authorities of the port? 
Would they believe their story? If the yacht had 


952 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


been supplied with the provisions necessary for the 
voyage to Bellville he would not have run the risk. 
He would have filled away for home without the 
loss of a moment. He had half a mind to try it 
any how. While he was turning the matter over 
in his mind, Eugene announced that there were 
more lights ahead of them. 

‘“* We had better get out our own lanterns,” said 
the young commander. ‘ There’s no fun in rush- 
ing with almost railroad speed through such dark- 
ness as this. Some craft might run us down.” 

While the captain and his brother were employed 
in getting out the lights and hanging them to the 
catheads, Perk called out from the cross-trees, where 
he was busy with the broken mast: “ Isay, Walter, 
there’s another frigate coming.” 

‘“* How do you know ?” 

‘“‘ Well, she may not be a frigate, but she wants 
to come alongside of us. I watched her, and just 
as soon as our lights were hung out she changed her 
course. She’s coming toward us.”’ 

“‘T don’t care,” said Walter, now beginning to 
get discouraged. ‘* We might as well give up one 
time as another. I shan’t try to get out of her 


9? 


way. 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 253 


The captain took his stand by Bab’s side, and in 
order to satisfy himself that Perk was right, changed 
the course of the yacht several times, narrowly 
watching the approaching lights as he did so. Their 
position also changed, showing that the vessel] 
intended to come up with her if possible. Being at 
last convinced of this fact, Walter walked forward 
again, and in moody silence waited to see what was 


going to happen. 


954 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT, 


CHAPTER XIV. 
THE YACHT LOOKOUT. 


| AM disposed of at last, am I? I rather think 

not. I have the free use of my hands and feet, 
and if there’s any opening in this state-room large 
enough for a squirrel to squeeze through, I shall be 
out of here in less than five minutes. ‘There’s the 
transom; I'll try that.” 

Thus spoke Fred Craven, who, with his hands in 
his pockets, was standing in the middle of his new 
prison, listening to the retreating footsteps of the 
men who had just placed him there. Hehad-heard 
Captain Conway’s sigh of relief, and caught the 
words he uttered when the door was locked upon 
him, and his soliloquy showed what he thought of 
tle matter. He had not met with a single adven- 
ture during his captivity among the smugglers. 
Shortly after the Stella sailed from Lost Island he 
was released from the hold, and allowed the free- 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 255 


dom of the deck. He messed with the crew, and, 
for want of some better way of passing the time, 
performed the duties of foremast hand as regularly 
and faithfully as though he had shipped for the 
voyage. He saw nothing of Mr. Bell, who re- 
mained in his cabin day and night, and had but - 
little to say to any of the schooner’s company. 
His mind was constantly occupied with thoughts of 
escape, and on more than one occasion, during the 
silence of the mid-watch, had he crept stealthily 
from his bunk in the forecastle and taken his stand 
by the rail, looking out at the angry waves which 
tossed the schooner so wildly about, hardly able to 
resist an insane desire to seize a life-buoy or hand- 
spike and spring into them. But prudence always 
stepped in in time to prevent him from doing any- 
thing rash, and finally curbing his impatience as 
well as he could he accepted the situation, working 
hard to keep his thoughts from wandering back to 
his home and friends, and constantly cheered by the 
hope that when once the shores of Cuba were 
sighted something would turn up in hisfavor. But 
ue was doomed to disappointment. No sooner had 
the headlands at the entrance to the harbor of Port 


Platte appeared in view than he was ordered into 


256 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT 


the hold by Captain Conway, and secured beyond 
all possibility of escape. In the afternoon, however, 
he was again brought out, and, after listening to a 
long speech from Mr. Bell, the object of which was 
to make known to him the fact that he was to be 
taken ashore, and that his bodily comfort depended 
upon his observing the strictest silence, he was com- 
pelled to accompany him and the captain up the 
hill toward the village. 

Featherweight thought he was now about to be 
turned over to the Spanish sea-captain, and so he 
was (only the captain, as it turned out, was an 
American who, for money, had undertaking to land 
Fred in some remote corner of the world); but first 
he had a part to perform, and that was to entice the 
crew of the Banner ashore in pursuit of him. As 
he slowly mounted the hill, he cast his eyes toward 
the Gulf, thinking the while of the quiet, pleasant 
little home, and the loving hearts he had left so far 
beyond it, and was greatly astonished to see a vessel, 
which looked exactly like the Banner, coming in. 
He did not know what had happened in the cove at 
Lost Island, and neither had he dreamed that Wal!- 
ter and his crew, bent on releasing him, had fol- 


lowed him for more than six hundred miles through 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 25F 


a storm, the like of which they had never expe- 
rienced before. He had not now the faintest idea 
that such was the case. What then must have been 
his amazement when he saw the vessel which had 
attracted his attention, haul suddenly into the shore 
and deposit Walter and Perk on the wharf? He 
saw the two boys as they followed him up the hill, 
and waved his handkerchief to them; and knowing 
just how courageous and determined they were, 
made up his mind that the moment of his deliver- 
ance was not far distant. But once more his hopes 
were dashed to the ground. His captors concealed 
themselves and him in a doorway until the pursuers 
had passed, and then the captain conducted him on 
board the ship and gave him into the hands of his 
new jailer. But Fred was resolved that he would 
not stay there. The ship was lying alongside the 
wharf; he was not bound, and if he could only 
work his way out of the state-room, it would be an 
easy matter to jump through one of the cabin win- 
dows into the water, and strike out for shore. The 
knowledge that there were friends at no great dis- 
tance, ready and willing to assist him, encouraged 
him to make the attempt. There was not a moment 
to be lost. Mr. Bell had taken up more than two 
17 


958 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


hours by his manceuvres on shore; it was beginning 
to grow dark, the captain and all his crew were 
busy getting the ship under way, and the effort 
must be made before she left the wharf. ; 

The first thing to which Fred directed his atten- 
tion, was the transom—a narrow window over the 
door, opening into the cabin—and the next, a huge 
sea-chest which was stowed away under the bunk. 
To drag this chest from its place, and tip it upon 
one end under the transom, was an operation which 
did not occupy many minutes of time. When he 
sprang upon it, he found that his head was on a 
level with the window. There was no one in the 
cabin. With a beating heart he turned the button, 
but that was as far as he could go—an obstacle ap- 
peared. His new jailer had neglected no precau- 
tions for his safe keeping, for the transom was 
screwed down. | 

“‘ Well, what of it?” soliloquized Featherweight, 
not in the least disheartened by this discovery. 
“‘ There’s more than one way to do things. I have 
the advantage of being smaller than most fellows of 
my age, and I can make my way through cracks in 
which an ordinary boy would stick fast. I believe 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 259 


I could even get through the key-hole, if it was just 
a trifle larger.”’ 

While he was speaking he took his knife from his 
pocket, and attacked the putty with which one of 
the window-panes was secured. After a few quick 
passes it was all removed, and placing the blade of 
his knife beneath the glass, Featherweight forced it 
out of its place, and carefully laid it upon the chest. 
The opening thus made was not more than nine 
inches long and six wide, but it was large enough to 
admit the passage of Fred’s little body, with some 
space to spare. After again reconnoitering the 
cabin, he thrust one of his legs through, then the 
other, and after a little squirming and some severe 
scratches from the sharp edges of the sash, he 
dropped down upon his feet. No sooner was he 
fairly landed than he ran to one of the stern win- 
dows of the cabin, threw it open, and without an 
instant’s hesitation plunged into the water. But he 
did not strike out for the wharf as he had intended 
to do, for something caught his attention as he was 
descending through the air, and riveted his gaze. 
It was a large yacht, which was slowly passing up 
the harbor He looked at her a moment, and then, 
with a cry of delight, swam toward her with all the 


260 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


speed he was capable of; but, before he had made 
a dozen strokes, a hoarse ejaculation from some one 
on the deck of the ship announced that he was dis- 
covered. He looked up, and saw the master of the 
vessel bending over the rail. “Good-bye, old fel- 
low!’ shouted Fred. ‘I’ve changed my mind, 
I'll not take passage with you this trip. If it is all 
the same to you I'll wait until the next.” 

For a moment the captain’s astonishment was so 
great that he could neither move nor speak. He 
could not understand how his prisoner had effected 
his escape, after the care he had taken to secure 
him; and while he was thinking about it, Fred was 
improving every second of the time, and making as- 
tonishing headway through the water. The captain 
was not long in discovering this, and then he began 
to bustle about the deck in a state of great excite- 
ment. 

‘¢ Avast there!’ he cried. ‘‘ Come back here, or 
I will wear a rope’s end out on you.” Then seeing 
that the swimmer paid no attention to his threat, he 
turned to his crew and ordered some of them to fol- 
low him intu the yawl, which was made fast to the 
stern of the ship. 

Fred heard the command and swam faster than 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 261 


ever, stopping now and then, however, to raise him- 
self as far as he could out of the water, and wave his 
hand toward the yacht. He tried to shout, but his 
excitement seemed to have taken away his voice, for 
he could not utter a syllable. But for all that he 
was seen, and his discovery seemed to produce no 
little commotion on the deck of the yacht. Several 
of her crew, led by a short, powerful-looking man, 
who wore a jaunty tarpaulin and wide collar, and 
carried a spy-glass in his hand, rushed to the rail ; 
and the latter, after levelling his glass first at him 
and then at the ship, turned and issued some orders 
in a voice so loud and clear that Featherweight 
caught every word. There was no mistaking that 
voice or those shoulders, and neither was there any 
mistake possible in regard to the yacht, for there 
never was another like her. She was the Lookout; 
the man with the broad shoulders and stentorian 
voice was Uncle Dick; and of those who accompa- 
nied him to the side one was Fred’s own father. 
The yacht at once changed her course and stood 
toward the fugitive, and the bustle on her deck and 
the rapid orders that were issued, told him that her 
boat was being manned. Would it arrive before the 
yawl that was uow putting off from the ship? 


262 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


Featherweight asked and answered this question in 
the same breath. As far as he was concerned it 
made no difference whether it did or not. His 
father had not followed him clear to Cuba to see 
another man make a prisoner of him, and as he was 
backed up by Uncle Dick and his crew, the matter 
could end in but one way. 

“‘ In bow !”’ commanded a stern voice behind him 
a few seconds later. ‘‘ Parker, stand up, and fasten 
into his collar with the boat-hook.” 

The sharp, hissing sound which a boat makes » 
when passing rapidly through the water, fell upon 
Fred’s ear at this moment, and looking over his 
shoulder, he found the ship’s yawl close upon him. 
He saw the bowman draw in his oar, and rise to his 
feet with the boat-hook in his hand, and an instant 
afterward his collar was drawn tight about his neck, 
his progress suddenly stopped, and then he was 
pulled back through the water and hauled into the 
yawl. 

“‘J’ll teach you to obey orders, my lad,”’ said the 
captain, as he pushed Featherweight roughly down 
upon one of the thwarts. ‘I'll show you that a 
boy who comes aboard my vessel of his own free 


will, and ships for a voyage, and receives his ad- 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. 263 


vance fair and square, can’t desert when he feels so 
inclined. You'dl sup sorrow for this.” 

This remark was doubtless made for the benefit 
of the yawl’s crew, none of whom were aware of 
the circumstances under which Fred had been 
brought on board the ship. ‘The prisoner made ne 
reply, but took his seat with the utmost composure, 
wiped the water from his face and looked toward 
the yacht. Her boat was just coming in sight 
around her stern. It was pulled by a sturdy crew, 
who bent to the oars as if they meant business. In 
the stern sheets sat Uncle Dick and Mr. Craven. 

‘*‘T wonder what that schooner’s boat is out for,” 
said the captain, suddenly becoming aware that he 
was pursued. 

‘‘T suppose they saw me in the water, and thought 
they would pick me up,” observed Featherweight. 

“Well, you are picked up already, and they 
can go back and attend to their own business. You 
belong to me.” 

The captain said this in an indifferent tone, and 
settled back in his seat as if he had disposed of the 
matter; but it was plain that he was very much in- 
terested in the proceedings of the boat behind him. 
Now that the swimmer was picked up, he looked te 


264 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


see her turn back ; but she did nothing of the kind. 
She came straight on in the wake of his yawl, and 
gained with every stroke of her crew. The cap- 
tain’s interest presently became uneasiness; and 
when at last the pursuing boat dashed up alongside, 
and her crew seized the gunwale of his yawl, his 
face was white with alarm. The instant the two 
boats touched, Fred was on his feet, and the next, 
his father’s arms were about him. The captain 
heard the words ‘‘ Father!” and “ My son!” and 
then his under jaw dropped down, and his eyes 
seemed ready to start from their sockets. But he 
tried to keep up some show of courage and author- 
ity. ‘Hold on, there!’’ he exclaimed. ‘‘ Hand 
that boy back here. He is one of my crew, who is 
trying to desert me.” 

‘* We happen to know a story worth two of that,’’ 
said Uncle Dick, eying the captain until the latter 
quailed under his stern glance. ‘That boy is my 
friend’s son. I'll trouble you to step into this 
boat.”’ 

“Ts he, really ?”’ said the captain, pretending not 
to hear Uncle Dick’s order. ‘In that case I will | 
let him off for a consideration.” 

*“‘ All the money you will receive for your share 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 265 


in this business, has been paid to you by Mr. Bell, 
whom we shall have arrested in less than ten min- 
utes. Step into this boat.” 

‘6 What for ?”’ 

‘‘ Because we have use for you.”’ 

*¢ And what if I don’t choose to do it?” 

‘Then I shall take you up bodily and throw you 
in,’ said the old sailor, rising to his feet in just the 
right mood to carry his threat into execution. 

“‘ Tf you don’t wish to suffer with your employer,” 
said Mr. Craven, who was much calmer than any 
one else in Uncle Dick’s boat, ‘‘ you had better 
come with us peaceably.” 

The captain protested, and tried to assume a look 
of injured innocence, but it did not avail him. The 
two stern-looking men who were confronting him 
would not be denied, and Fred’s jailer finally 
stepped into Uncle Dick’s boat, and was carried on 
board the yacht, while his own crew, who had lis- 
tened with wonder to all that passed, pulled back 
to the ship. 

There were twenty men on board the Lookout, 
all old friends of Uncle Dick and Mr. Craven, who 
had volunteered to act as the crew, and assist in 
rescuing the prisoner if they overtook the smug- 


266 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


glers, and these came forward in a body to welcome 
Fred as he sprang over the side. As he was handed 
about from one to another, hurried inquiries were 
made concerning the crew of the Banner, ‘ut 
Featherweight had no information to give. He 
had seen but two of them since his capture by the 
smugglers, and they had remained in sight scarcely 
more than five minutes. Where they went after 
they disappeared from his view, and what they did, 
he had no means of knowing. 

‘Never mind,” said Uncle. Dick. ‘We are 
after a gentleman who knows all about it; and we 
intend to make him tell, too.” 

The gentleman referred to was of course Mr. 
Bell. He saw the Lookout when she came into the 
harbor, and her appearance was all that was needed 
to show him that his affairs were getting into a des- 
perate state. His game of deception was over now. 
He might prove more than a match for half a dozen 
inexperienced boys, but he knew that in the crew 
of the yacht, and especially in her commander and 
his brother, he would find his equals. He saw all 
that happened when Uncle Dick’s boat came up 
with that of the captain of the ship; and when the 


latter gentleman was carried away a prisoner, and 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 267 


the yacht once more began to move up the harbor, 
directing her course toward the place where the 
Stella lay, he knew that it was high time he was 
bestirring himself. Without saying a word to any 
one, he jumped ashore, and made his way along the 
wharf. It was now dark, and although Mr. Bell 
could scarcely see or think of anything but the 
Lookout, he did not fail to discover something which 
made it clear to him that Uncle Dick and his friends 
had been wasting no time since they came into the 
harbor. It was a squad of soldiers who were 
marching quickly along the wharf, led by Mr. Gay- 
lord, Mr. Chase, and a custom-house officer with 
whom he was well acquainted. As they had not 
seen him, Mr. Bell easily avoided them, and as 
soon as they passed, hurried through the gate and 
up the hill out of sight. Had he waited to see 
what they were going to do, he would have found 
that they boarded his vessel from one side, at the 
same moment that the crew of the Lookout came 
pouring over the other. 

‘“¢ Now, then, Mr. Officer,” said Walter’s father, as 
he sprang upon the Stella’s deck, “here she is. 
Doesn’t she look more like a smuggler than that 
little yacht? Hallo! MHere’s somebody who can 


268 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


tell us all about her,” he added, seizing Fred’s hana 
and shaking it so cordially, that the boy felt the 
effects of his gripe for half an hour afterward. 

‘“¢ T can show you where the arms and ammunition 
are,’ replied Featherweight, ‘“‘and I suppose that’s 
what you want to know. Iam sorry to say that I 
can’t tell you anything about Walter and the rest,” 
he added, in reply to Mr. Gaylord’s question. 
‘Find Mr. Bell and Captain Conway, and make 
them tell.” 

At this moment, the master of the Stella appeared 
at the top of the companion ladder. Hearing the 
noise made by the boarding parties, he had come up 
to see what was the matter. One look must have 
been enough for him, for, without making a single 
inquiry, he turned and went down into his cabin 
again. 

The first duty of the officer in command of the 
soldiers, was to direct that no one should be allowed 
to leave the vessel, and his second to accompany 
Fred Craven into the hold. Since the boy had last- 
been there, the cargo had been broken out and 
stowed again, so as to conceal the secret hatchway ; 
but Fred knew just where to find it, and there were 
men enough close at hand to remove the heavy 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT, 269 


boxes and hogsheads that covered it. In a very 
few minutes, a space was cleared in the middle of 
the hold, an axe was brought by one of the party, 
and the hatch forced up, disclosing to view the in- 
terior of the prison in which Fred had passed many 
a gloomy hour. The officer opened his eyes in sur- 
prise at the sight he beheld. He made an exam- 
ination of the contents of a few of the boxes and 
bales, all of which were consigned to Don Casper 
Nevis, and then hurrying on deck, ordered every 
one of the crew of the Stella under arrest. The 
principal man, however, and the one he was most 
anxious to secure, was nowhere to be found. A 
thorough search of the town and the roads leading 
from it was at once ordered, all the crew of the 
Lookout volunteering to assist, except Uncle Dick 
and the other relatives of the missing boys, who 
went into the cabin to question Captain Conway. 
They were not as successful in their attempts to 
gain information as they had hoped to be. The 
captain, thoroughly cowed and anxious to propi- 
tiate his captors, answered all their inquiries as well 
as he could, and revealed to them the plans Mr. 
Bell had that afternoon put into operation. He 
knew that the Banner had been stolen by Pierre 


270 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


and the deserters, who intended to go to Havana in 
her, but he could not tell what had become of the 
boys. Chase and Wilson had been decoyed out to 
Don Casper’s house by a note which they thought 
came from Walter, and no doubt they were still 
there. Perhaps, too, they knew where the rest of 
the missing crew could be found. 

While the conversation was going on, the party 
in the cabin heard the roar of the guns-of the fort, 
and saw the frigate get under way and leave the 
harbor. ‘This was enough to put Uncle Dick and 
his friends on nettles. They did not want to re- 
remain there inactive, while the Banner was in 
danger (how greatly would their anxiety have been 
increased, had they known that Walter and his com- 
panions were in as much danger, at that moment, 
as those who stole their vessel), but their crew were 
all ashore looking for Mr. Bell, and so was the cus- 
tom-house officer, and they were obliged to await 
their return. At the end of an hour, their sus- 
pense was relieved by the arrival of the official and 
some of the Lookout’s company. Their search had 
been successful—the fugitive leader of the smugglers 
having been overtaken and captured while on his 
way to Don Casper’s house. The officers had 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. yaa 


pumped him most effectually, and learning that he 
had been deceived as to the character of the Banner, 
and that the precautions he had taken to prevent 
her leaving the port, would most likely insure her 
destruction, he was anxious to do all in his power 
tosaveher. He readily complied with Uncle Dick’s 
request to sail with him in pursuit of the frigate, 
and greatly relieved the fears of Mr. Chase, by as- 
suring him that what he had heard from Mr. Bell, 
made him confident that his son would be found at 
Don Casper’s. 

The rescued boy was the hero of the hour. While 
the Lookout. was flying over the Gulf toward the 
bay at the rear of the Don’s plantation, he was en- 
tertaining a group of eager listeners by recounting 
the various exciting events that had happened since 
the day of the ‘“‘ Wild Hog Hunt.” But it was not 
long before he was obliged to give place to those 
who had adventures more exciting than his own to 
relate. The officer of the deck, whom Uncle Dick 
had instructed to keep a lookout for the frigate, 
. came down to report that there were lights ahead ; 
and that, although but.a short distance away, they 
had only just appeared in view—a fact which, ac- 
cording to his way of thinking, proved something. 


oT2 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘Tt does, indeed,’’ said the custom-house officer. 
“Why should a vessel be under way on such a 
night as this without showing lights? She’s another 
smuggler. Captain, you will oblige me by going 
as close to her as you can.” 

If the approaching vessel was engaged in honest 
business she was certainly acting in a very suspicious 
manner. So thought Uncle Dick, after he had 
watched her lights for a few minutes.. She stood 
first on one tack, and then on the other, as if trying 
to dodge the Lookout, and this made the old sailor 
all the more determined that she should not do it. 
He kept his vessel headed as straight for her as she 
could go; the custom-house official stood by, rubbing 
his hands in great glee, and telling himself that 
another smuggler’s course was almost run; and the 
crew leaned ovcr the rail, straining their eyes 
through the darkness, and waiting impatiently to 
obtain the first glimpse of the stranger. She came 
into view at last---a modest-looking little craft, with. 
two buys perched upon the main cross-trees, busy 
with a broken topmast. The old sailor and his 
brotker starte as if they had been shot, and the 
former seizing his trumpet, sprang upon the rail, 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 28 


steadying himself by the fore shrouds. “ Walter!” 
he yelled. 
“Uncle Dick !’”’ came the answer, after a moment’s 


pause, in surprised and joyous accents. 


After this there was a long silence. Walter, 


having answered the hail, had not another word to 
say, and neither had the Lookout’s commander or 
any of his crew, whose amazement and delight were 


too great for utterance. ‘They seemed unable to - 


remove their eyes from the little yacht. What 
adventures had she passed through since they last 
saw her? She had sailed hundreds of miles over 
a stormy gulf to a country that none of. her crew 
had ever visited before, had been shot at by the 
heavy guns of the fort, chased by a frigate, and 
stolen by deserters, and there she was, looking little 
the worse for her rough experience. At length 
Uncle Dick’s voice broke the silence. ‘Are you 
all safe?’ he inquired. 

He asked this question in a trembling voice, 
grasping the shrouds with a firmer hold, and bend- 
ing forward a little as if to meet a shock from some 
invisible source, while his crew held their breath, 


and listened eagerly for the reply. 


274 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


‘Yes, sir; all except Chase. He is not with us 
He must be at Don Casper’s.”’ 

“Tonnk Heaven!” was the involuntary ejacula- 
tion of everyone of the Lookout’s company. “To 
go through so much and come out with the loss of 
only one of the crew, who may yet be found alive 
and weil! It is wonderful!” 

Uncle Dick’s face wore an expression that no one 
had ever seen there before, and his voice was husky 
as he seized his brother’s hand, and wringing it 
energetically, asked what was to be done now? 
Mr. Gaylord and the officer advised an immediate 
return to Don Casper’s; and in obedience to Uncle 
Dick’s orders, the Lookout again filled away, and the 
Banner came about, and followed in her wake. 


The adventures we have attempted to describe in 
this volume comprise all the exciting events in the 
history of the Club’s short sojourn in Cuba, but by 
no means all the interesting ones. If time would 
permit, we might enter into minute details concern- 
ing the grand re-union that took place in the cabin 
of the Lookout shortly after she and the Banner 
entered the bay, and anchored at the stern of the 
frigate. It was a happy meeting, in spite of the 


et RE 
Chet oot ge 


~) 
. w~S 


THE SPORTSMANS CLUB AFLOAT. OTS 


gloom thrown over it by the absence of Chase, and 
the consequent anxiety and distress of his father, 
Wilson was obliged to tell, over and over again, all 
he knew about the missing boy. He held his 
auditors spell-bound for half an hour, and when he 
finished his story, Walter began. Among the 
listeners was the captain of the iron-clad ; and when 
the young commander told how narrowly he had 
escaped discovery and capture when the man-of- 
war was entering the bay, the officer patted him on 
the head and said that he was a brave lad and a 
good sailor. 

Uncle Dick and his crew were highly indignant 
over what had happened in the cove at Lost Island. 
They had heard it all from the master of the reve- 
nue cutter. The old sailor and his brother, who, it 
will be remembered, were in the woods searching 
for Featherweight when the Banner began her 
eruise, returned home at daylight, and learning from 
Mrs. Gaylord where the boys had gone, they hurried 
to Bellville, raised a crew for the Lookout, and put 
to sea. Before they had gone far they found the 
John Basset, drifting helplessly about on the waves, 
her engine being disabled. That explained. why 
she did not make her appearance at Lost Island 


276 THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 


Uncle Dick took Mr. Chase and Mr. Craven aboard 
his own vessel, listened in amazement to their story, 
and shortly afterward met the cutter. He held a 
long consultation with her captain, who, after 
describing what had taken place in the cove, told 
him that the last he saw of the Banner she was fol- 
lowing after the Stella, which had set sail for Cuba. 
Uncle Dick at once filled away in pursuit; but 
being too old to believe that a vessel carrying con- 
traband goods would go to so large a port as Havana, 
ran down until land was sighted, and then held 
along the coast, carefully examining every bay and 
inlet. As the Lookout was a much swifter vessel 
than the Stella, he gained time enough to do all this 
work, and to reach Port Platte on the evening of 
the same day the smuggler arrived there. 

Mutual explanations being ended, the entire 
party, accompanied by a squad from the frigate, 
went ashore to look for Chase. They searched high 
and low (the Club found time to peep into the wine 
cellar where he and Wilson had been confined), but 
could find nothing of him. At daylight the three 


vessels sailed in company for Port Platte, and the 


whole of that day and the succeeding one was 
spent in fruitless search. Chase had disappeared 


THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB AFLOAT. 2T1 


as utterly as if he had never had an existence. 
Being satisfied at last that he had shipped on board 
some vessel bound for the States, his father con- 
sented to sail with his friends for Bellville. They 
reached the village without any mishap, and in 
ample season for the Club to perfect numerous 
plans for their amusement during the holidays. 
Some interesting events happened about that time— 
one especially which threw our heroes into ecstacies 
—and what they were, shall be told in “TaE 
SPoRTSMAN’S CLUB AMONG THE TRAPPERS.” 


THE END. 








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trated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. ... I 25 





By U. A. Stephens. 


Rare books for boys—bright, breezy, wholesome and instruc- 
tive—full of adventure and incident, and information upon 
natural history—they blend instruction with amusement—contain 
much useful and valuable information upon the habits of animals, 
and plenty of adventure, fun and jollity. 


CAMPING OUT SERIES. ByC. A. Stephens. 
In box containing the following. 6 vols. 16mo. 
Semeeeextta, Diack and gold’. .°. 2. 2 ek ewes $7 50 
(Sold separately.) 


Camping Out. As recorded by “Kit.” With eight 
Will-pace aiusitgtions.. 1Omo0. . «2 . «'s ss « I 25 


Left on Labrador; or, The Cruise of the Schooner 
Yacht “Curlew”? As recorded by “Wash.” With 
eight full-page illustrations. I6mo......... I 25 


Off to the Geysers; or, The Young Yachters in 
Iceland. As recorded by “ Wade.” With eight full- 
Pee ANOUS LOMO. 6 ss) fe on ed) se ote I 25 


Lynx Hunting. From Notes by the Author of 
“Camping Out.” With eight full-page illustrations. 
Mere heats ee ee ee ks we I 25 


Fox Hunting. As recorded by “Raed.” With ese 
full-page illustrations. I6mo....... : I 25 


On the Amazon; or, the Cruise of the “ Rambler.” 
As recorded by “Wash.” With eight full-page illus- 
rea LOUIS ee Me Vel ah gh ere leiyaie. oe 2 25 


8 PORTER & COATES’S POPULAR JUVENILES. - 
By jJ. U. Crowbridge. 


These stories will rank among the best of Mr. Trowbridge’s 
books for the young, and he has written some of the best of our 
juvenile literature. 


JACK HAZARD SERIES. By J. T. Trowbridge. 
In box containing the following. 6 vols. 16mo. 
Cloth; extra, black and gold“<7.'°. =) =. eee » os ie 5 
(Sold separately. ) 
Jack Hazard and his Fortunes. With ee. 
illustrations; <FOm0;... 4 Ses Atle ee ome I 25 
A Chance for Himself; or, Jack Hazard ahd his 
Treasure. With nineteen illustiations. TOMO, %\ 5) (pene 
Doing his Best. With twenty illustrations. 16mo. 1 25 
Fast Friends. With seventeen illustrations. I6mo. I 25 
The Young Surveyor; or, Jack on the Prairies. 
With twenty-one illustrations. I6mo....... I 25 
Lawrence’s Adventures Among the Ice Cut- 
ters, Glass Makers, Coal Miners, Iron Men and Ship 
Builders. With twenty-four illustrations. I6mo... I 25. 





By Eoward 8, Ellis. 


A New Series of Books for Boys, equal in interest to the “ Cas- 
tlemon” and “Alger” books. His power of description of 
Indian life and character is equal to the best of Cooper. 


cd 
BOY PIONEER SERIES. By Edward S. Ellis. 
In box containing the following. 3 vols. Illustrated. 
Cloth;-extra black and gold . >... siete Ra Fa i 
(Sold separately.) 
Wed in the Block House; or, Life on the Frontier. 
Being the Ist volume of the “Boy Pioneer Series.’ 
Illustrated. : 16mosRaiegee. «so. I 25 
Ned in the Woods. Being the 2d volume of the 
“Boy Pioneer Serresv’*' Illustrated. 16mo. . Seep outues 
Ned on the River. Being the 3d volume of the 
“Boy Pioneer Series.”’ Illustrated. I6mo-.... I 25 


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Books may be kept 
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